WASHINGTON (LN) — The Justice Department settled a lawsuit Wednesday alleging the Biden administration coerced Twitter to suppress disfavored speech by an American citizen, implementing President Trump’s Executive Order on free speech.
The agreement in Berenson v. Biden, No. 25-2709 (2d. Cir.), avoids continued litigation in the case, which challenged the previous administration's alleged exertion of "substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the Federal Government did not approve."
The settlement acknowledges that the previous administration "trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms," according to the Department's press release, which cited the Executive Order.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said the Biden administration engaged in "blatant viewpoint discrimination, wielding power over social media to kick conservatives off Twitter completely."
"Today’s settlement proves such injustices are over under President Trump's leadership," Woodward said.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Civil Division added that "unlawful government coercion of social media companies has no place in our country or under our Constitution."
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division called the settlement an "important milestone for free speech in our country," noting that "the proper antidote to speech one doesn’t like, is more speech."
The Department’s agreement with the plaintiff avoids the need for continued litigation in this case.