Louisiana’s attorney general files amicus brief in lawsuit against legacy media organization

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has filed an amicus brief in support of the Children’s Health Defense lawsuit against Trusted News Initiative, an organization comprised of legacy media and social media companies.

Children’s Health Defense, a controversial "vaccine skeptical" nonprofit, has joined 10 plaintiffs alleging that TNI violated antitrust laws by colluding with social media companies to censor online news.

Trusted News Initiative's membership includes the Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, and BBC along with Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft.

TNI came into existence during the Covid-19 pandemic to "choke off" and "stamp out" online news reporting that TNI or any of its members consider to be "misinformation," according to the lawsuit. Children's Health Defense alleges in the lawsuit that its content on COVID-related topics, especially treatments, origins, mandates, lockdowns and vaccines was unfairly targeted.

The suit alleges that TNI is violating federal antitrust law by its collusion with tech companies to deny market access to alternative media sources to legacy media companies.

Notable plaintiffs also include Jim Hoft, founder of the far-right news site Gateway Pundit, and Dr. Joseph Mercola, an author and alternative medicine proponent.

“Restricting disfavored information injures not merely the Plaintiffs, but also Louisiana residents and state officials. Louisiana officials need a free press to communicate with and understand the concerns of the State’s residents,” Landry, a Republican, wrote in the amicus brief. “Louisiana residents, in turn, need a free press to receive information and make up their own minds about what is true and what is false. The State has a strong interest in seeing the injuries the TNI group has inflicted on Louisiana officials and residents redressed.”