A technology policy nonprofit organization on Tuesday sued President Trump over his executive order attempting to strip away a legal protection long enjoyed by social media platforms. In the first of what is anticipated to be a raft of legal challenges against the controversial executive order, the Center for Democracy and Technology argues that Trump's action was an act of revenge that violates the First Amendment rights of both tech companies like Twitter and ordinary Americans who use social media. "The Executive Order is designed to deter social media services from fighting misinformation, voter suppression, and the stoking of violence on their platforms," said Alexandra Givens, who leads the center.

... The suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks a federal judge to rule that the president's order is unconstitutional and to block its implementation. "Courts have recognized that retaliatory conduct chills a person or entity from exercising their First Amendment rights in the future," the lawsuit states. "President Trump—by publicly attacking Twitter and issuing the Order—sought to chill future online speech by other speakers."