If you’ve spent time on any major social media platform over the last few years, you’ve already experienced this. The leftists who control Silicon Valley have increasingly pushed strict control over the content they let users post on their websites. Claiming to be open communities for all, these websites swiftly shut down anyone who violates their rules.
Of course, the people who are often banned just happen to be conservatives.
Users have frequently complained about the ever-changing standards on social media sites. These companies rarely explain in clear terms what can or can’t be posted. And when someone “violates” their guidelines, there is no transparent process to appeal or fix the mistake. Many have accused Big Tech of doing this deliberately, so they can conveniently target Trump supporters and Republicans.
Numerous Republican leaders have called for Congress to do something about it, including President Trump.
Now, after all these years, it looks like some movement is happening on Capitol Hill.
Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) announced Wednesday that they have drafted legislation to strip Big Tech companies from the protections offered them in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act…
“The bill would amend Section 230 of the Communications Act to provide that immunity does not apply to ‘certain companies’ and would require internet platform companies to ‘implement and maintain reasonable and user-friendly appeals processes for decisions about content on the platforms,’” the outlet continued. [Source: Daily Wire]
The new Republican-backed bill seeks to strip Section 230 immunity from major social platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter. What is Section 230? It is a rule that gives online websites immunity from lawsuits and prosecution, if one of their users posts something illegal or problematic. The key is that these websites are “platforms” that don’t directly control the content users post.
Obviously, that’s not the case with most social networks anymore. As they continue to censor the content of conservative users, many have called on Congress to end their immunity. They are no longer acting like neutral platforms, when they decide what you can or cannot say online.
This bill has the potential to hold social networks accountable when they shut down someone’s account. It would also require them to provide clear rules and a process for users to appeal decisions.
If you think Democrats will be unlikely to support this bill, you might be right. For now, Democrats have ignored online censorship, because it’s only been going one way. But that won’t last forever. We’ve already seen liberal users and accounts face the same treatment—when they “violate” the woke standards of the far left. How long before Democrat politicians face the same censorship from major websites?
If Americans want to protect free speech into the future, bills like this need to be passed. Big Tech sites must be held in check, or they will wield more power than the U.S. government and its citizens.
Author: Andrew Smith
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