Federal Agencies Agree To 10-Year Ban On Pressuring Social Media Companies To Censor Americans’ Speech
MONROE, LA – In a landmark victory for free speech, federal agencies have entered a 10-year consent decree with Missouri and Louisiana that prohibits officials from pressuring social media companies to censor Americans.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Surgeon General, CDC, and CISA are legally barred from threatening social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube—with legal, regulatory, or economic consequences to remove, suppress, or alter content containing protected speech.
The decree stems from Missouri v. Biden (formerly Murthy v. Missouri), a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general along with medical and media professionals who were censored online over topics such as COVID-19, the 2020 election, and the Hunter Biden laptop story. It ensures that federal agencies cannot “unilaterally direct or veto” content moderation decisions by these companies.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver called the agreement “a vital mechanism to protect free speech rights no matter who holds executive power. Americans have a First Amendment right to independent online discourse.”
The case has a complex history. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that plaintiffs lacked standing for an injunction but allowed the lawsuit to continue. In January 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14149, directing the federal government to “correct past misconduct” in online censorship.
Facing further litigation in 2026, both sides agreed to settle with this consent decree, ending the case and cementing protections for Americans’ online speech for the next decade.
