Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The case involves Children's Health Defense and others against major media organizations like the Washington Post, BBC, AP, and Reuters. The plaintiffs claim they were deplatformed for sharing independent news about the COVID-19 pandemic. They allege that these media companies colluded with large digital platforms to suppress competition from independent viewpoints.
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater from the Justice Department's Antitrust Division commented on the issue: "When companies abuse their market power to block out and deplatform independent voices and protect legacy media, they harm competition and threaten the free flow of information on which consumers depend." She added that "This Antitrust Division will always defend the principle that the antitrust laws protect free markets, including the marketplace of ideas."
The Antitrust Division regularly files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court to help protect competition and consumers. These documents are available on their website.
