Summarised by Centrist
The lawsuit filed by the State of Texas and others against the US Department of State and various officials alleges the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) is unlawfully intervening in the news-media market.
They say the government is targeting American citizens and the press with disinformation strategies, to censor and limit the circulation of disfavoured press outlets.
According to the plaintiffs, this involves funding, promoting, and marketing censorship technology, originally designed for national security and foreign relations, to covertly suppress the speech of certain segments of the American press. The plaintiffs argue this is a direct violation of the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief to halt what they describe as unconstitutional and ultra vires (beyond the powers) actions by the State Department.
