Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 17 / Tuesday, January 28, 2025 / Presidential Documents 8243 

Executive Order 14149 of January 20, 2025 

Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, and section 301 of title 3, United 

States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Purpose. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, 

an amendment essential to the success of our Republic, enshrines the right 

of the American people to speak freely in the public square without Government interference. Over the last 4 years, the previous administration trampled 

free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, 

often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as 

social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress 

speech that the Federal Government did not approve. Under the guise of 

combatting ‘‘misinformation,’’ ‘‘disinformation,’’ and ‘‘malinformation,’’ the 

Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights 

of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced 

the Government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public 

debate. Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society. 

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to: 

(a) secure the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally 

protected speech; 

(b) ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages 

in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free 

speech of any American citizen; 

(c) ensure that no taxpayer resources are used to engage in or facilitate 

any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any 

American citizen; and 

(d) identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by 

the Federal Government related to censorship of protected speech. 

Sec. 3. Ending Censorship of Protected Speech. (a) No Federal department, 

agency, entity, officer, employee, or agent may act or use any Federal resources in a manner contrary to section 2 of this order. 

(b) The Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of executive 

departments and agencies, shall investigate the activities of the Federal 

Government over the last 4 years that are inconsistent with the purposes 

and policies of this order and prepare a report to be submitted to the 

President, through the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, with recommendations 

for appropriate remedial actions to be taken based on the findings of the 

report. 

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 


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8244 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 17 / Tuesday, January 28, 2025 / Presidential Documents 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

January 20, 2025. 

[FR Doc. 2025–01902 

Filed 1–27–25; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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