Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday aimed at prohibiting federal officials from pressuring social media companies to moderate or remove online content. The order marks a sharp reversal from previous government approaches to content moderation.
The executive order specifically bans federal officials from taking actions that would "unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen" and prevents the use of taxpayer resources for curtailing free speech. It also directs the Justice Department to investigate content moderation actions taken during the Biden administration.
Trump and his supporters have long alleged that the previous administration improperly pressured social media platforms to suppress conservative voices, particularly regarding discussions of COVID-19 and the 2020 election. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that senior Biden administration officials had pushed his employees to remove certain content during the pandemic.
Critics warn the order could have unintended consequences. Nina Jankowicz, CEO of the American Sunlight Group, argues it may enable bad actors to spread harmful disinformation. Some observers note that limiting government-platform communication could hamper emergency response during natural disasters and public health crises.
The order arrives as major social media companies are already adopting more lenient content moderation policies. Meta and other platforms have begun scaling back fact-checking efforts and showing increased alignment with the new administration's approach.
Last year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a related case, finding insufficient evidence that government influence directly caused social media companies to remove content. However, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill criticized this decision, describing the previous administration's actions as "the worst government coercion scheme in history."
The executive order fulfills one of Trump's campaign promises to his conservative base, who have consistently raised concerns about perceived censorship by major technology companies. However, social media platforms maintain they target harmful content that violates their rules rather than specific political ideologies.