Biden Administration Pushes Back Against Request For an Injunction Against Government-Directed Censorship

The Biden administration’s lawyers appeared in front of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit this month and urged the judge not to grant an injunction that would prevent the federal government from directing social media platforms to censor user content. The request for the injunction was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a legal group that’s representing theoretical cognitive scientist Mark Changizi, attorney and author Michael P. Senger, and stay-at-home father Daniel Kotzin in a lawsuit that alleges the Biden admin violated the First Amendment by pressuring Twitter to censor so-called Covid-19 “misinformation.” The trio spearheading this lawsuit are Michael P. Senger, an attorney and author, Mark Changizi, a theoretical cognitive scientist, and Daniel Kotzin, a stay-at-home dad. All three have leveraged their Twitter accounts to voice criticisms of government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions and to question narratives endorsed by health authorities. Twitter took adverse action against these individuals, which the lawsuit contends is the outcome of federal pressure to censor. Senger’s account, which boasted 112,000 followers, was permanently disabled on March 8, 2022. Meanwhile, Changizi’s account, which had accrued 37,000 followers, was permanently banned on December 18, 2021, but later reinstated following an appeal; he also reports that his account has been subjected to heavy censorship and de-boosting since May 2021. Lastly, Kotzin’s account, with 29,700 followers, has faced suspension twice. The three allege that Twitter censored their accounts in response to pressure from the Biden administration and there has been much evidence showing the administration…Biden Administration Pushes Back Against Request For an Injunction Against Government-Directed Censorship