Trump administration asks court to dismiss Big Tech’s challenge to social media executive order
- Trump issued an executive order in May against social media companies in an attempt to regulate platforms where he has been criticised
- A Washington-based tech group funded by Facebook, Alphabet’s Google and Twitter brought a lawsuit against the directive in June
The Trump administration has filed a motion asking a court to dismiss a lawsuit against the president’s executive order targeting social media companies, calling it a “profound misunderstanding”, according to a copy of the motion seen by Reuters.
The lawsuit by CDT argued Trump’s social media executive order violates the First Amendment rights of social media companies, will chill future online speech and reduce the ability of Americans to speak freely online.
The administration argues that the executive order only directs government agencies, and not private companies, to act.
“The EO challenged here imposes no obligations on any private party,” said the motion filed by the Department of Justice in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, which was seen by Reuters.