A federal judge has temporarily blocked White House officials from communicating with social media companies regarding content moderation, citing potential First Amendment violations. Judge Terry A. Doughty of Louisiana issued the injunction Tuesday in response to lawsuits from Louisiana and Missouri, alleging the White House pressured tech platforms to censor speech, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The injunction names several officials and agencies, including Cabinet members and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and prohibits them from contacting companies like Google, Meta, and Twitter to suppress online expression.

Judge Doughty's injunction asserts that the government's actions likely infringe on free speech rights, likening them to an Orwellian "Ministry of Truth." He suggests the case represents a significant threat to free speech in American history, claiming the government disregarded the First Amendment in its attempts to combat disinformation.

The injunction further contends that the alleged censorship disproportionately affected conservative viewpoints, emphasizing that viewpoint discrimination is a particularly severe form of content restriction. While acknowledging the issue transcends partisan politics, the judge stressed the government's obligation to refrain from regulating speech based on the speaker's ideology.

This legal action could significantly reshape future interactions between government officials and tech platforms, potentially limiting contact except in cases involving national security or criminal activity. Both Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry praised the injunction, viewing it as a victory for First Amendment protections and a crucial step in preventing government overreach in online censorship.

While Fox News reached out to the White House, Google, Meta, and Twitter for comment, they have yet to respond. The Department of Justice declined to comment.