Restoring Free Speech and Ending Federal Censorship – The White House

Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and by section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is ordered that which follows:

Section 1. Purpose. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, an amendment essential to the success of our Republic, enshrines the right of the American people to express themselves freely in public without government interference. Over the past four years, the previous administration trampled on the right to free speech by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting significant coercive pressure on third parties, such as media companies social, to moderate, distort or otherwise suppress speech that the federal government had adopted. The government did not approve. Under the guise of combating “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “misinformation,” the federal government has violated the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in ways that have advance the government’s preferred narrative on important topics of public debate. . Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society.

Second. 2. Politics. It is the policy of the United States to: (a) ensure the right of the American people to express themselves in constitutionally protected expression;

(b) ensure that no officer, employee, or agent of the Federal Government engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally restrict the freedom of expression of any United States citizen;

(c) ensure that no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate conduct that would unconstitutionally restrict the freedom of expression of any United States citizen; And

(d) identify and take appropriate action to correct past federal misconduct related to censorship of protected speech.

Second. 3. End censorship of protected speech. (a) No Federal department, agency, entity, officer, employee, or agent may act or use Federal resources in a manner contrary to section 2 of this order.

(b) The Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of executive departments and agencies, shall investigate activities of the Federal Government within the past 4 years that are inconsistent with the purposes and policies of this Order and prepare a report to be submitted to to the President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, with recommendations on appropriate corrective actions to be taken based on the findings of the report.

Second. 4. General provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed as impairing or otherwise affecting:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or to its head; Or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative or legislative proposals.

(b) This Order will be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies or entities, its officers, employees. , or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 20, 2025.