Attorney General Sean D. Reyes has joined an amicus brief in the Murthy v. Missouri case at the US Supreme Court. The brief, led by Montana, supports a challenge against the federal government’s alleged censorship of private opinions on online platforms. Missouri and Louisiana claim the federal government influenced social media companies to limit certain speakers and content during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election.
Both the district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of the States. The case is now on appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, with oral arguments scheduled for March 18. The attorneys general argue that the States have the right to defend their interests.
The States claim that users were often unaware of the alleged censorship. The district court found that social media companies used various methods to limit content sharing, allegedly at the request of the federal government.
The brief claims that the government and social media companies hid their actions. It alleges that government actors directed social media employees to limit certain expression, and that social media companies limited the reach of certain content.