Federal agencies have agreed to a 10-year consent decree that limits their ability to communicate with social media companies about content moderation, according to court filings in the case Missouri v. Biden.

The settlement restricts agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency from pressuring social media platforms to remove or restrict content. The decree stems from a lawsuit filed by Missouri and other Republican-led states challenging federal government communications with tech companies.

Republican attorneys general who brought the case have characterized the agreement as a significant victory against what they view as government overreach in content moderation. The lawsuit alleged that federal agencies violated First Amendment rights by encouraging social media companies to suppress certain viewpoints and information.

The consent decree includes specific prohibitions on federal agencies flagging content for removal or requesting that platforms take action against particular posts or accounts. However, it allows for certain exceptions related to national security and criminal activity.

The case emerged from broader concerns about government influence on social media content policies, particularly regarding COVID-19 information and election-related posts. The lawsuit was part of ongoing legal and political battles over the boundaries between government communications and private platform content decisions.

The 10-year duration of the decree means these restrictions will remain in place through multiple presidential administrations, potentially affecting how future governments interact with social media companies on content-related issues.