Misinformation Experts ‘Vindicated’ by Supreme Court Ruling

image via New Scientist

June 28, 2024, 11:00 AM

• •The US Supreme Court has ruled that the government can continue communicating with researchers and social-media platforms in an effort to reduce misinformation on subjects such as elections and vaccines.
• •The decision stops short of declaring that such activities are protected as free speech under the US Constitution, but it nonetheless represents a win for researchers who continue to face lawsuits alleging that they worked with the government to suppress conservative opinions.
• •Many conservative activists and politicians thought that these efforts were politically motivated and targeted Republican voices, including those who posted online — incorrectly and without any evidence — that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged. They have launched congressional investigations and brought multiple lawsuits, including the one against the US government that the Supreme Court decided today.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that the government can continue communicating with researchers and social-media platforms in an effort to reduce misinformation on subjects such as elections and vaccines. The decision stops short of declaring that such activities are protected as free speech under the US Constitution, but it nonetheless represents a win for researchers who continue to face lawsuits alleging that they worked with the government to suppress conservative opinions.

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