Appeals court dismisses lawsuit against Pfizer leaders

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a class-action lawsuit filed by journalist Alex Berenson against Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and board member Scott Gottlieb. The lawsuit alleged a conspiracy between pharmaceutical leaders and the Biden administration to have Berenson deplatformed by Twitter in 2021.

Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, was suspended by Twitter after posting claims that COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission. The court's ruling reaffirmed the authority of social media platforms to enforce their terms of service, which allow for account suspension or termination at any time and for any reason.

While Berenson argued that Twitter's specific five-strike policy and verbal assurances from executives modified the platform's terms, the appellate court maintained the dismissal of the claims against the Pfizer executives.