Evergreen Reporter

Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled against two motions to dismiss a lawsuit filed by America First Legal (AFL) concerning a mass-surveillance and censorship program. The lawsuit, Jill Hines v. Alex Stamos, involves the Stanford Internet Observatory, the Atlantic Council, and the Aspen Institute among others.

The AFL initiated this class action lawsuit on May 2, 2023, representing Jill Hines from Health Freedom Louisiana and Jim Hoft of The Gateway Pundit. The case targets academic institutions and nonprofits associated with the "Election Integrity Partnership" (EIP) and the "Virality Project." It alleges these groups collaborated with federal authorities to suppress conservative viewpoints about COVID-19 and elections on social media.

Following the lawsuit's filing and an investigation led by Rep. Jim Jordan as Chairman of the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, the Stanford Internet Observatory was closed in June 2024. Additionally, EIP did not function during the 2024 election cycle.

The defendants sought dismissal on grounds that there was insufficient connection to Louisiana for jurisdictional purposes. However, the court found AFL's claims substantial enough to merit further examination through discovery. This process will allow AFL to investigate alleged actions directed at Louisiana residents by these entities.

AFL's clients have claimed significant contact involving coordination with state officials, censorship of Louisiana citizens on social media platforms, and monitoring disinformation purportedly originating in Louisiana.

This ruling enables AFL's case to advance as they seek transparency regarding alleged collusion between private entities and government efforts to censor constitutionally protected speech in America.

Among those named in this case are Alex Stamos and Renée DiResta from Stanford Internet Observatory, Dr. Kate Starbird from the University of Washington, Graphika, Atlantic Research Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, and Aspen Institute.

Nicholas R. Barry from America First Legal stated: “The Defendants will now have to provide discovery over their connections to Louisiana. We are confident the documents and testimony will establish their active steps to censor citizens in Louisiana and others around the country. Private entities cannot be permitted to partner with the government to censor Americans’ speech. We will continue to vigorously pursue our clients’ claims and protect free speech.”