Censorship

The debate over the bipartisan antitrust American Innovation and Choice Online Act just took a new direction, as censorship advocates indicated that one provision could protect the free speech of Big Tech-alternative platforms.

The leftist ratings firm NewsGuard criticized a Media Research Center study of the site’s ratings, calling it “fundamentally flawed.” 

On Friday night, MSNBC’s ReidOut host Joy Reid injected more venom into our body politic, declaring parents speaking out at school board meetings to be “bankrolled by conservative organizations...controlling the puppet strings” and that they, along with Republicans, are akin to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Nazis, Pol Pot, and Soviet Union due to their opposition to books seen as…

Leftists called on Spotify to ban popular podcast host Joe Rogan over alleged COVID-19 “misinformation.” Rogan has interviewed doctors on his show who dissent from the left’s COVID-19 narratives.

Who knew rocker Neil Young was into censorship? The one-time rock and roll guy of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, - he of such legendary hits as “Rockin’ in the Free World” - was typical of 60’s and 70’s rock and roll types, supposedly free and easy. He had no problem with drugs, advertising his use in memoirs. Now pretending there’s no problem with drug use would be…

The leaders of media platform Substack responded to leftist censorship pressure with a strong defense of free speech. “I wouldn’t want someone to pick out my clothes for me, much less my ideas,” Substack executive Lulu Cheng Meservey said.

The anti-free speech left is all but breaking out the champagne and party hats over YouTube’s permanent ban of Fox News host Dan Bongino.

In a sort of shocking moment at the top of Wednesday’s The View, normally incendiary co-host Joy Behar defended podcaster Joe Rogan’s freedom of speech from calls he be de-platformed from Spotify for “misinformation.” She even went at it with co-host Sunny Hostin, saying if you don’t like what he says, “counter it” with your own speech.

YouTube appeared to hide rappers Tom MacDonald and Adam Calhoun’s new song “New World Order,” which challenged leftist hypocrisy on race, gender and a host of other issues.

Three facts and you’re out? YouTube has permanently banned Fox News host and conservative commentator Dan Bongino.

Biased online ratings firm NewsGuard is taking its information war to schoolchildren through a deal made with the American Federation of Teachers. School children depend on the internet for homework help. NewsGuard is now stepping in to “filter” online sources for so-called “misinformation.” The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union is buying NewsGuard licenses for its 1.7 million member…

Twitter and Facebook allow Russian state-controlled media to maintain verified accounts even as Russia prepares to invade Ukraine. Both sites ban organizations involved in violence. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump remains banned from the social media platforms for allegedly encouraging violence.

Google reportedly increased its U.S. lobbying spending by 27 percent in 2021, as lawmakers began a push to enact new tech legislation to regulate the industry.

A threat by Facebook to permanently shut down the account of the head of a leading Geneva-based non-governmental group prompted an outcry this week – and the tech giant reversed an earlier decision to take down a post for allegedly violating its “Community Standards.”