‘Vague’ injunction on social media should be stayed, US Justice Department says

The US Justice Department asked a federal judge to stay his sweeping injunction barring many government interactions with social media companies on free-speech grounds, arguing that it was vague, confusing and likely to be overturned on appeal. “The Court’s July 4 preliminary injunction is both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms,” lawyers led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton wrote in a filing before US District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana, citing rules that require the document to make clear “exactly what conduct is proscribed.” The government team asked for a stay to be granted by July 10 until the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit rules on the Justice Department’s planned appeal of the injunction, or else that Judge Doughty stay the order for a week to allow time for a faster emergency appeal. The six-page motion argues that parts of the order contradict each other, such as a prohibition on some officials speaking publicly about false social media posts conflicting with a provision that nothing should stop officials from exercising their own right to free speech.