{"id":2284000,"date":"2024-06-26T13:49:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T17:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotus-mocks-concept-of-self-censorship-in-shocking-ruling\/"},"modified":"2024-06-26T13:56:57","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T17:56:57","slug":"scotus-mocks-concept-of-self-censorship-in-shocking-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotus-mocks-concept-of-self-censorship-in-shocking-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"SCOTUS Mocks Concept Of Self-Censorship In Shocking Ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fscotus-mocks-concept-of-self-censorship-in-shocking-ruling%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2284000&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In the Supreme Court case *Murthy \u200cv. \u200dMissouri*, the justices ruled 6-3 that\u2064 the plaintiffs lacked standing to\u200d seek\u2064 forward-looking relief against alleged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/if-facebook-twitter-and-google-hide-information-for-the-worlds-rulers-elections-are-a-scam\/\" title=\"If Facebook, Twitter, And Google Hide Information For The World\u2019s Rulers, Elections Are A Scam\">government-pressured censorship<\/a> of private \u2064internet companies. \u2063Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing \u200dfor the majority, argued that the plaintiffs failed \u200cto establish a substantial risk\u200b of future injury directly traceable to \u2062the government defendants. She\u2064 dismissed\u200b the \u200bargument that\u2063 past self-censorship due to fear of hypothetical future\u200c restrictions \u2062constituted valid grounds for standing. Barrett\u2062 also noted that the social media \u200ccompanies&#8217;\u200d own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-tech-to-ban-parler-over-lack-of-content-moderation\/\" title=\"Big tech to ban Parler over lack of content moderation\">content moderation policies<\/a> could be incenting self-censorship, and thus \u200dit was difficult to attribute \u2064this self-censorship directly to the actions of government defendants.<\/p>\n<p>The context involved \u2063reports\u200b and examples where federal authorities seemed \u200bto influence online platforms&#8217; moderation policies, with incidents cited\u2063 including confrontations between White House officials and Facebook. This included claims from reports and opinion pieces \u2063arguing that government actions could be\u2064 promoting a culture of self-censorship\u2063 among Americans,\u200c highlighted\u200d by a survey \u200bindicating widespread self-censorship\u2064 among college students. The opinion and surrounding discussions showcase the complex interplay\u200d between government \u200dactions, \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-james-lindsay-critical-race-theory-activists-goal-is-to-dismantle-u-s-establish-total-dictatorship\/\" title=\"Exclusive -- James Lindsay: Critical Race Theory Activists' Goal Is to Dismantle U.S., Establish Total Dictatorship\">private company policies<\/a>, and the individual&#8217;s \u200cdecision to self-censor, raising broader concerns about\u200b freedom of expression and censorship.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Supreme Court justices mocked the common concept of self-censorship Wednesday in the majority opinion for <em>Murthy v. Missouri<\/em>, wherein the nine<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-mental-anguish-financial-and-emotional-distress-unvaxed-united-airlines-employees-send-1000s-of-letters-to-board-of-directors\/\" title=\"Exclusive \u2014 'Mental Anguish, Financial and Emotional Distress': Unvaxed United Airlines Employees Send 1,000s of Letters to Board of Directors\">-judge panel ruled<\/a> the plaintiffs lacked standing.<\/p>\n<p>In the 6-3 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/23pdf\/23-411_3dq3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruling<\/a>, the Supreme Court punted on the constitutional question of government-pressured censorship of private internet companies. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in the majority opinion that \u201cto obtain forward-looking relief\u201d case plaintiffs \u201cmust establish a substantial risk of future injury that is traceable to the Government defendants and likely to be redressed by an injunction against them.\u201d The justice, however, added the plaintiffs\u2019 arguments for standing were unpersuasive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst, they argue they suffer \u2018continuing, present adverse effects\u2019 from their past restrictions, as they must now self-censor on social media,\u201d Barrett wrote. \u201cBut the plaintiffs \u2018cannot manufacture standing merely by inflicting harm on themselves based on their fears of hypothetical future harm that is not certainly impending.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we explained,\u201d Barrett continued, \u201cthe plaintiffs have not shown that they are likely to face a risk of future censorship traceable to the <em>defendants<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barrett argued plaintiffs were already incentivized to self-censor by the major companies\u2019 pre-existing content moderation policies, \u201cso it is \u2018difficult to see how\u2019 the plaintiffs\u2019 self-censorship \u2018can be traced to\u2019 the defendants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, Justice Barrett\u2019s ruling is based in part on skepticism of the prevalence of self-censorship to begin with, let alone censorship provoked by government campaigns to suppress dissident speech. What the plaintiffs made clear throughout the case, however, is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-legislatures-push-to-fight-big-tech-but-experts-warn-of-limitations\/\" title=\"State Legislatures Push to Fight Big Tech, but Experts Warn of Limitations\">social media websites<\/a> took the direction for their content moderation policies <em>from<\/em> federal authorities engaged in a surrogate censorship program.<\/p>\n<p>Federalist Editor Joy Pullmann <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/14\/6-takeaways-from-the-biden-admins-court-quest-to-keep-censoring-americans-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> last summer that White House officials, for example, \u201ctreated internet monopolies like their subordinates.\u201d Pullmann pulled out an email exchange between White House digital director Rob Flaherty and Facebook in which Flaherty sent irate messages demanding to know why the company did not comply with administration requests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJoe Biden even threatened to hold [Mark] Zuckerberg criminally liable for not running Facebook the way Biden wanted,\u201d Pullmann reported. <\/p>\n<p>And if there\u2019s any doubt about the presence of self-censorship, just ask today\u2019s college students if they censor themselves \u2014 whether it be inside or outside of the classroom. In October, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Senior Fellow Samuel Abrams reported on a survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) of more than 55,000 students across 254 institutions that found \u201calarming\u201d levels of self-censorship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf of all students, both men and women alike, report occasionally or more frequently engaging in self-censorship,\u201d Abrams <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/articles\/students-are-self-censoring-america-must-take-note\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>. \u201cThis phenomenon cuts across the divide between private and public institutions, affecting a majority of students regardless of the type of school they attend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the most insidious intended effects of government censorship is self-censorship,\u201d wrote Federalist CEO Sean Davis in a post on X. \u201cBy punishing others for what they say and believe, tyrannical governments terrorize their citizens\u2019 own thoughts by creating every incentive for them to just be quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>One of the most insidious intended effects of government censorship is self-censorship: by punishing others for what they say and believe, tyrannical governments terrorize their citizens&#8217; own thoughts by creating every incentive for them to just be quiet.<\/p>\n<p>But in its abominable\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/u1NuMOLITy\">pic.twitter.com\/u1NuMOLITy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Sean Davis (@seanmdav) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/seanmdav\/status\/1805971634236366983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>George Orwell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themarginalian.org\/2013\/08\/16\/the-freedom-of-the-press-george-orwell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> about how tyrants exploit censorship as a tool to provoke self-censorship among the subservient classes. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe chief danger to freedom of thought and speech at this moment is not the direct interference of \u2026 any official body,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIf publishers and editors exert themselves to keep certain topics out of print, it is not because they are frightened of prosecution but because they are frightened of public opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But public opinion is being manipulated by U.S. government censorship \u2014 censorship perpetrated by private websites that serve as proxy moderators for authorities who are eager to control the flow of information.<\/p>\n<p>Writing the dissenting opinion in <em>Murthy v. Missouri<\/em> Wednesday, Justice Samuel Alito warned Americans would come to regret the continuation of an unconstitutional censorship regime.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Murthy v. Missouri, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, dismissed the plaintiffs&#8217; standing, sidestepping the constitutional issue of government-induced censorship by private internet firms. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, critiqued the notion of self-censorship. The justices&#8217; opinions highlighted skepticism towards this concept<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2284001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3992988737_e653b50195_k-e1719418882999.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4945,5782,6994,32871,5587],"class_list":["post-2284000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-mock","tag-ruling","tag-scotus","tag-self-censorship","tag-shocking"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3992988737_e653b50195_k-e1719418882999.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2284000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2284001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2284000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2284000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2284000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}