A federal judge on Tuesday blocked key Biden administration agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with Big Tech companies in an extraordinary ruling that could change how social media is used.

In his dramatic ruling on Tuesday, Donald Trump-appointed Judge Terry A. Doughty said that 'during the COVID-19 pandemic... the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian "Ministry of Truth"'.

The injunction is in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri who claim the government engaged in censorship and shut down conservative voices.

The states argued that government officials went too far in their efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to COVID vaccine hesitancy or upend elections. 

Government officials argued the contact was necessary to combat misinformation or thwart criminal activity. The case involved President Joe Biden's White House; Google, led by Sundar Pichai; Twitter led by Elon Musk; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, led by Mark Zuckerberg.  

The ruling was a victory for Republicans and could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives as Americans prepare for the 2024 presidential election. 

Many Republicans, including Trump himself, argued that conservatives were unfairly targeted and had posts removed by social media platforms. They accused Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube of censoring its critics.

The attorneys general, in their filings, said the government's actions amount to 'the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.' 

'Big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day,' wrote Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Twitter. 'I'm proud to have led the fight.'