U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) announced on Mar. 24 that the Missouri v. Biden lawsuit, which he brought as Missouri Attorney General, has reached a settlement and consent decree with the federal government regarding censorship of protected speech on social media platforms.
The case addresses concerns about government influence over online speech and the boundaries of First Amendment protections in the digital age.
According to Schmitt, “This is a massive win for the First Amendment and for every American who believes in free speech.” He said that under President Biden’s administration, there were efforts to use major social media companies such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube to suppress certain viewpoints. “From COVID to Hunter Biden’s laptop to the border, Biden officials at the highest levels of government tried to use Facebook, X, and YouTube as their speech police. But no longer,” Schmitt said.
The settlement establishes a ten-year court-enforceable injunction preventing federal agencies including the U.S. Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) from pressuring social media platforms into censoring constitutionally protected speech or threatening them with legal or economic penalties if they do not comply. The agreement also prevents these officials from interfering with how companies make content moderation decisions.
Schmitt originally filed Missouri v. Biden in 2022 while serving as Attorney General of Missouri, alleging collaboration between federal officials and technology companies aimed at censoring online speech. As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, he continues to discuss these issues publicly and has introduced legislation such as the COLLUDE Act—which would remove Section 230 protections from social media companies that censor content at government request—and the Censorship Accountability Act allowing citizens to sue federal officials who restrict their online expression.
Schmitt serves on several key Senate committees including Judiciary Committee and Armed Services Committee; his work focuses on protecting free speech rights according to his official website. He is also vice chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. According to his official website, Schmitt draws inspiration from personal family experiences—including advocacy for families with special needs—and supports programs like Senator’s Youth Council promoting civic engagement among youth. His background includes being part of a sixth-generation family of farmers, teachers, and small business owners.
“This decision locks in Americans’ First Amendment rights,” Schmitt said about future implications for digital communication between citizens and their government.
