Big-Tech Silences Free Speech
JERUSALEM, Israel (ANS) — The Jan. 6 storming of the United States Capitol Building by activists and rioters is being used as a justification by Big-Tech companies to declare themselves the sole arbiters of truth, to unilaterally decide what news and opinions are worthy of distribution and what are not, and to constrain the ability of other voices — particularly conservative voices — to make their case.
So writes Joseph Magen for AllIsraelNews at https://www.allisrael.com
“This is wrong and is a dangerous overreach by the leading Big-Tech companies,” Magen said in a Jan.12 column for the web-based outlet.
Magen says Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have claimed for years to be neutral and open platforms — not “publishers,” not “editors,” not “arbiters of the truth.”
“Until now,” Magen said.
In his column, Magen writes: “Although President Donald Trump released a video condemning the attack of the halls of Congress, it wasn’t enough for Silicon Valley. The Big-Tech leaders have issued their own overreaching verdict. They banned the president of the United States from publishing his views and statements on Facebook and Twitter.”
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, stated on Jan. 7 that Trump was banned indefinitely from Facebook to prevent “the use of our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government.”
Twitter followed several days later and on Jan. 9 and announced a permanent suspension of Trump’s @realDonaldTrump twitter account, citing “risk of further incitement of violence.”
Magen writes: “Let’s be clear, the breaking into of the Capitol Building by an angry and violent mob was a very serious crime, and all those who were directly involved in breaching the Capitol should be arrested and prosecuted. But let’s also keep in mind that the attack involved a relatively small number of Americans. Thus, the punishment should fit the crime.
“Instead, Big-Tech is exhibiting ‘excessive force.’ It is overreaching in its response to Trump. The mainstream media often uses the phrase “excessive force” when describing the Israeli army’s response to missile fire from Gaza on Israeli cities. I haven’t heard yet ‘excessive force’ in the mainstream media’s reporting on this week’s events.”
This overreach by Big-Tech is a dangerous and hypocritical precedent, not just for the U.S., but for all countries, including Israel, said Magen.
“I’ll get to the hypocrisy in a moment. First, the danger.”
Read more of Magen’s Commentary here: https://tinyurl.com/y3q7ubxn
