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Nov 11, 2026

4th Circuit blocks Trump administration demand for journalists' LinkedIn data

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit unanimously ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to compel LinkedIn to hand over data on journalists who were critics in the news media, citing press freedom protections.

Nov 11, 20262 sources

Top claims

▪A district court approved the Justice Department's Disclosure and Secrecy Orders targeting LinkedIn under the Stored Communications Act
▪In 2026, Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized grand jury subpoenas to New York Times reporters and communications providers regarding reporting on the Qatari-donated Air Force One
▪Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III ruled Justice Department demands for journalists' LinkedIn metadata records were substantially overbroad

People involved

Todd Blanche Donald Trump

Subtopics

Civil liberties1 First Amendment1 Free speech1 Investigations1 Judiciary1 National security1 New York Times1 Press freedom1 Privacy and data protection1 Trump administration1

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