Liberal news network CNN shut down after a federal judge ordered the Biden administration to stop pressuring Big Tech companies to censor conservative opinions.
Elie Honig, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, criticized the ruling in what free speech advocates have called a dramatic win for the First Amendment.
“This is a conservative ideology. It clearly comes through in this decision. It’s a conservative political ideology. We saw some of the quotes, questioning vaccines, questioning masks, conservative talking points. But the ruling itself is the opposite of judicial conservatism,” Honig said.
“This is one of the most aggressive, far-reaching rulings you’ll ever see. What this judge is purporting to do is micromanage really the day-to-day interactions between the entire executive branch… and the leading social media companies,” she continued.
Honig worked as an ADA in New York from 2004 until 2012 before joining the Attorney General’s Office of New Jersey. He then instituted liberal bail reforms in the state that removed cash bail for the majority of defendants.
“In the actual temporary injunction, the judge basically says, ‘You’re not allowed, [Biden] administration, to talk to these social media companies about any protected free speech except for cybersecurity threats, national security threats, criminal threats.’ But where’s the line? Who’s going to police this?” Honig added.
CNN noted that Judge Terry A. Doughty was approved in the U.S. Senate in a 98-0 vote. He was appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Doughty’s ruling is expected to have significant repercussions for social media companies that censor opinions that differ from the federal government’s official position on a wide range of topics, from COVID-19 public health initiatives to claims of voter fraud in elections.
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was elated about Tuesday’s decision, saying the injunction would stop further censorship of his views on social media platforms, while the American Civil Liberties Union, purported national defenders of the First Amendment, remained noticeably silent.
“Federal judge orders President Biden to stop censoring his critics including me. The decision mentions me on page 17. Happy Independence Day Everyone!” Kennedy Jr. tweeted.
