Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship
This executive order, titled Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship, directs the executive branch to affirm and protect First Amendment rights and to limit government actions that could suppress or chill constitutionally protected speech. It criticizes past actions perceived as government pressure on private platforms and others to moderate or remove speech, and it lays out a policy framework to prevent such conduct going forward. The order requires the Attorney General, in consultation with agency heads, to investigate recent federal activity alleged to be inconsistent with the order’s goals and to report back with recommended remedial actions. It also clarifies that the order does not expand or create new legal rights and must operate within existing law and appropriations. In short, it codifies a policy stance against government-driven censorship, sets out guardrails to prevent government actors from abridging speech, and creates a mechanism to review and address past concerns. The document does not, by itself, change statutes or grant new private rights; rather, it aims to guide how federal agencies interact with speech and with the public going forward.
Key Points
- 1Purpose and framing: Restores emphasis on First Amendment protections, arguing that prior federal actions pressured private platforms to censor speech and undermined constitutional rights.
- 2Policy direction (Sec. 2):
- 3- (a) Secure the right to constitutionally protected speech;
- 4- (b) Ensure no federal officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates conduct that unconstitutionally abridges free speech;
- 5- (c) Ensure taxpayer resources are not used to facilitate unconstitutional censorship;
- 6- (d) Identify and correct past misconduct related to censorship.
- 7Prohibition on federal actions (Sec. 3): No federal department, agency, or agent may act in a way that contradicts the policy in Sec. 2. The Attorney General, with input from agency heads, will investigate activities over the prior four years and prepare a report with recommended remedial steps to be submitted to the President.
- 8Investigation and reporting (Sec. 3): The AG, in consultation with agency heads, must examine past federal activities and produce a formal report with remedial recommendations.
- 9General provisions (Sec. 4):
- 10- The order does not impair existing statutory authority or the functions of the Office of Management and Budget;
- 11- Implementation must follow applicable law and available appropriations;
- 12- The order does not create enforceable rights or benefits for any party.