A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to create a Federal cause of action to address jawboning, and for other purposes.

If enacted, this bill would expose federal agencies to lawsuits over informal communications with platforms about content removal. Platforms could claim government pressure as a defense in litigation brought by users. The outcome depends on how courts define 'coercion' and whether implied threats or requests lacking explicit legal authority qualify. During the Biden administration, the Fifth Circuit temporarily blocked federal officials from contacting social media companies about election-related content, citing First Amendment concerns (Murthy v. Missouri, preliminary injunction 2024)—this bill codifies a private cause of action for similar conduct. If platforms successfully use government coercion claims as a defense, they may become less responsive to government requests to address election misinformation, health misinformation, or national security threats. Federal health and election agencies would face litigation costs and operational friction when communicating with major platforms.