Government Censorship Settlement Requires Legislative Action and Broader Reparations
Source: Ben Weingarten. "With Missouri v. Biden Settled, It's Time For Reparations." March 30, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that while the government's settlement in the censorship case is a win, it's not enough. He wants Congress to pass permanent laws protecting everyone from government censorship and to provide compensation to people who were previously censored.
Conclusion
The Missouri v. Biden settlement, while a victory, is insufficient and requires congressional legislation to permanently protect all Americans from government censorship, along with accountability measures and reparations for past victims
Premises
- The consent decree only protects specific plaintiffs and agencies for 10 years, leaving most Americans vulnerable to future censorship
- The settlement represents a government admission that its comprehensive efforts to pressure social media companies were unlawful
- Government censors have faced no legal punishment for past First Amendment violations
- Millions of censorship victims have never been made whole or compensated
- The censorship-industrial complex has not been fully defunded by federal and state authorities
- Future administrations could interpret the settlement narrowly and resume censorship activities after the 10-year period expires
Assumptions
- Government pressure on social media companies constitutes unlawful censorship
- All Americans deserve permanent protection from government censorship, not just specific plaintiffs
- Past censorship victims deserve compensation or reparations
- Legislative action is more durable than court settlements or executive orders
- The censorship-industrial complex will continue to exist unless actively dismantled