Austin News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the New Civil Liberties Alliance have joined with conservative media giants The Daily Wire and The Federalist to file a civil lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State. The suit alleges that the State Department, specifically through its Global Engagement Center (GEC), is unconstitutionally meddling in the American news media landscape.

The legal action, filed in a federal court located in Tyler, Texas, has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump.

"This agency will not get away with their illegal campaign to silence citizens and publications they disagree with," Paxton said, according to Reuters.

The lawsuit alleges that the State Department, through its Global Engagement Center (GEC), is unconstitutionally intervening in the American news media market, aiming to financially cripple disfavored press outlets through the funding of censorship technology and private censorship enterprises.

The plaintiffs also argue that the GEC's activities infringe upon their First Amendment rights, claiming that the State Department, via organizations like the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and NewsGuard, lacked the statutory authority to fund tools that allegedly label conservative outlets as "risky."

The lawsuit outlines the severe damages faced by the media plaintiffs, including blacklisting, reduced revenue, reputational damage, and social media censorship, as a result of the State Department's alleged unlawful conduct.

The legal action specifically examines the alleged collaboration between the State Department and private entities, such as Newsguard, to censor dissenting press and viewpoints in the evolving media landscape. The plaintiffs claim that technologies funded by the State Department intentionally hinder media outlets' ability to attract advertisers and circulate their publications.

According to Lee Fang, critics argue that NewsGuard's for-profit model, potentially influenced by government and corporate interests, stifles dissenting views. NewsGuard's collaboration with major investors and ties to Pfizer raise concerns about conflicts of interest and the suppression of critical reporting.

According to the "Twitter Files," in May 2021, NewsGuard pitched a censorship tool to the company as a "Vaccine Against Misinformation." The tool would allegedly use artificial intelligence and NewsGuard algorithms to screen content and direct visitors only to official government sources for certain issues including COVID-19.

The legal action follows a similar lawsuit by the leftist blog Consortium News against the U.S. and Newsguard Technologies, alleging government-backed censorship infringing on the First Amendment. 

Consortium News seeks a permanent injunction against these practices and over $13 million in damages for defamation and civil rights violations.