Published on Jun 20, 2019
Josh Hawley Moves to End Immunity Privileges for Big Tech Monopolies Unless They Protect Free Speech
The freshman Senator from Missouri is taking action to protect digital freedom.
By Shane Trejo
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has emerged as the leading reformer against social media censorship, as he is going after their special immunity privileges under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
As it states right now, Section 230 states that “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”
Howley’s bill, the Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act, would remove that exemption for Big Tech firms if they act like publishers instead of neutral platforms. Corporations would have to comply with external audits proving their algorithms and content moderation are not biased.
“With Section 230, tech companies get a sweetheart deal that no other industry enjoys: complete exemption from traditional publisher liability in exchange for providing a forum free of political censorship,” Hawley said in a statement. “Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, big tech has failed to hold up its end of the bargain.”
“There’s a growing list of evidence that shows big tech companies making editorial decisions to censor viewpoints they disagree with,” Hawley added. “Even worse, the entire process is shrouded in secrecy because these companies refuse to make their protocols public. This legislation simply states that if the tech giants want to keep their government-granted immunity, they must bring transparency and accountability to their editorial processes and prove that they don’t discriminate.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the left-leaning civil liberties organization, warns against changing the regulations.
“Though there are important exceptions for certain criminal and intellectual property-based claims, CDA 230 creates a broad protection that has allowed innovation and free speech online to flourish,” the EFF added on their website.
“This legal and policy framework has allowed for YouTube and Vimeo users to upload their own videos, Amazon and Yelp to offer countless user reviews, craigslist to host classified ads, and Facebook and Twitter to offer social networking to hundreds of millions of Internet users,” they added.
“Senator Hawley’s misguided legislation sets the table for stricter government control over free expression online,” Americans for Prosperity Policy Analyst Billy Easley said in a statement.
“Eroding the crucial protections that exist under Section 230 creates a scenario where government has the ability to police your speech and determine what you can or cannot say online,” Easley added.
ECommerce trade group NetChoice opposes the legislation because they admit that it would restrict the ability of tech giants to censor.
“This bill prevents social media websites from removing dangerous and hateful content, since that could make them liable for lawsuits over any user’s posting” said Carl Szabo, who works as General Counsel at NetChoice, in a statement. “Sen. Hawley’s bill creates an internet where content from the KKK would display alongside our family photos and cat videos.”
Hawley isn’t phased by the critics, and continues to put Big Tech in his crosshairs.
Full text of the legislation can be seen here.
Michael Moore Asks the Left: ‘Are You Ready’ to Take On Trump’s ‘Insane Base’
By Hannah Bleau
Far-left documentary filmmaker Michael Moore informed his 6 million Twitter followers Wednesday that he watched President Trump’s reelection speech and asked fellow resisters if they are ready to take on Trump’s “fired-up insane base.”
The Fahrenheit 11/9 filmmaker told his followers that he watched Trump’s reelection speech in its entirety in order to get a good look at the “enormity of the fight ahead.” Michael Moore was seemingly incensed by President Trump’s massive crowd of supporters.
“He hasn’t lost one inch of his fired-up insane base,” Moore said.
Moore’s devotion to “plugging in” and paying attention seems to be a recent development. Contrast his newfound position with the warning he issued prior to President Trump’s State of the Union Address in January.
At the time, Moore urged networks to refrain from playing the president’s address.
“You MUST NOT give free air time 2 a known liar,” he warned in a January 8 tweet. “This is a man you have told us lies to us an average of 10 lies a day.”
“If you do go ahead and give Trump this free, prime time airtime tonight, then I implore you to run on the screen a real-time LIVE fact-check for every sentence he utters,” he continued. “You owe this to your viewers.”
The Oscar-winner also warned that Trump’s State of the Union address was “all part of the plan” to start a coup.
In February, Moore urged Democrats to refrain from taking moderate positions and declared “middle ground” as good as gone.
“If you’re being moderate, stop being moderate. Take a position,” Moore said during an appearance on MSNBC. “There’s no middle ground anymore. There’s no halfway point to should somebody be paid a living wage.”
“You know, on the issue of choice, there is no halfway there. You’re either for it or you’re against it,” he continued. “Do you believe in equal rights for women? Do you believe we should have an Equal Rights Amendment? There’s no middle ground. There’s no time for moderation.”
Moore and Avengers star Mark Ruffalo are reportedly planning strategies “for the 2020 blue deluge.”
DON LEMON INVOKES HITLER WHILE DISCUSSING MEDIA’S ROLE IN COVERING TRUMP
CNN hack’s comments too extreme for Chris Cuomo
JUNE 19, 2019
CNN anchor Don Lemon made what he himself described as a “extreme” comparison between President Trump and Adolf Hitler while arguing that such “bad people” shouldn’t be given a platform.
During their nightly hand-off, his primetime colleague Chris Cuomo began by describing 2020 as the most “definitional” election in his lifetime. Lemon appeared to attempt to shame Trump supporters, and asked them if they will “continue to fall for the o-ke-doke.” But then he questioned the media’s responsibilities in covering Trump’s candidacy.
The “CNN Tonight” anchor urged Cuomo to “think about the most despicable people in history” and warned him that he was going to use an “extreme example.”
Joe Biden Demands Credit for Trump Economy During 2020 Kickoff Rally
By Charlie Spiering
Former Vice President Joe Biden demanded credit for the booming economy under President Donald Trump on Tuesday night during the president’s campaign kickoff rally.
“Let’s be clear: President Trump inherited a growing economy from the Obama-Biden administration,” Joe Biden wrote on Twitter. “And now, he’s in the process of squandering it.”
(Biden’s message on Twitter was likely composed by staff as Biden was attending a New York City fundraiser with Wall Street donors at the time of Trump’s rally)
During the rally, Trump boasted of the economic boom under his presidency.
“Our economy is the envy of the world and perhaps the greatest economy we’ve had in the history of our country,” he wrote, touting the success of his deregulatory agenda and tax cuts. “The American dream is back, it’s bigger, better, stronger than ever before.”
Trump noted that 16,000 manufacturing jobs a month were coming back to the United States.
He ridiculed Obama for telling voters that Trump would need a “magic wand” to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States.
“Well, we will tell Sleepy Joe that we found the magic wand,” Trump said as the crowd cheered.
NBC’s Alexander On Trump Reelection “These Folks Are Fired Up,” “Reminds Me” Of 2016
NBC’s Peter Alexander reports from President Donald Trump’s reelection kickoff rally, noting that “these folks are fired up,” and saying that it “reminds me” Of 2016.
OH Voter On Trump: “He’s Showing Results, I Run A Small Business Now & My Numbers Are Growing”
During an MSNBC town hall of Ohio voters with Chris Matthews, an Ohio voter explains why she supports President Donald Trump, noting that “he’s showing results, I run a small business now and my numbers are growing.” Be sure to like, subscribe, and comment below to share your thoughts on the video.
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