Bollingers File Historic Lawsuit against US Govt, CCDH, Big Tech and the ‘Censorship Industrial Complex’

Nashville, TN – Dec 16, 2024—Ty and Charlene Bollinger, founders of The Truth About Cancer and The Truth About Vaccines and bestselling authors, have filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the U.S. government, Big Tech companies, and NGOs in the United States District Court in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit reveals an alleged “Censorship Industrial Complex” that systematically suppressed dissenting voices, including the Bollingers, under the guise of combating “misinformation.”

The Bollingers, whose globally acclaimed docu-series have garnered tens of millions of views and whose book, The Truth About Cancer, is a New York Times bestseller, were labeled as part of the infamous “Disinformation Dozen” in 2021. This designation, created by the United Kingdom-rooted Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) at the U.S. government’s behest, was allegedly amplified/used by platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, and X (formerly Twitter) to suppress the Bollingers’ content, which such censorship resulted in severe financial and reputational harm.

The lawsuit exposes what the Bollingers (and others such as RFK Jr) describe as a deeply entrenched “Censorship Industrial Complex,” a system where federal agencies like the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and FBI allegedly collaborate (or even conspire) with Big Tech platforms like Meta, Twitter, and Google and with NGOs like CCDH, Media Matters for America, and the Center for Internet Security to effectuate the wrongdoing alleged in the Bollingers’ complaint. The U.S. government is accused of pressuring Social Media platforms into censorship predicated, in whole or in part, on alleged “disinformation” data that the NGOs are accused of manufacturing (often at the government’s request, according to the lawsuit), targeting individuals and organizations that challenged official narratives on COVID-19, vaccines, and other public health issues.

This system operated not only through the suppression of voices that opposed the U.S. government’s preferred narratives but also through associated amplification of the U.S. government’s preferred narratives, a strategy referred to in the lawsuit as “censorship by substitution.” In this approach, dissenting opinions are both discredited and suppressed, while perspectives aligned with the government’s views are elevated to take their place. NGOs like CCDH (again, of British origin) created derogatory “blacklists,” falsely labeling individuals and organizations as sources of “misinformation” or “disinformation.” Social media companies amplified these labels and worked with the U.S. government (or worked at the U.S. government’s direction) to downrank, remove, or algorithmically bury flagged content while promoting the government’s preferred narratives. The Bollingers allege that this process not only silenced opposition but monopolized public discourse, allowing powerful institutions to dictate the boundaries of acceptable speech.

“This case is about much more than us—it’s about the erosion of our most fundamental freedoms,” said Charlene Bollinger. “The government, NGOs, and Big Tech colluded to silence dissenting voices like ours, labeling truth as ‘misinformation’ and depriving the public of open debate. This lawsuit seeks to expose their actions and restore the rights of all Americans to speak freely.”

The Bollingers’ lawsuit aims to hold these powerful entities accountable for what they believe is a direct attack on the First Amendment and the foundation of free expression in America. By exposing the depths of the ‘Censorship Industrial Complex,’ the Bollingers hope to restore not only their own voices but also the integrity of the Internet’s digital information marketplace (the modern-day public square), ensuring that all Americans have the right to share and access ideas without fear of suppression.

To schedule an interview, contact kristin@thinkrightpr.com

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The Complaint:

The 281-page complaint, which even includes a detailed Table of Contents, was filed in the Middle District of Tennessee. The case is Cancer Step Outside the Box, LLC (Ty and Charlene Bollinger) versus an extensive list of defendants, including several U.S. government departments and agencies: the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, CISA, Department of Health and Human Services, along with organizations such as the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Media Matters, and the Center for Internet Security. Tech giants Meta Platforms, Google, Twitter/X, and 10 unnamed John Does are also listed as defendants.