Biden Admin Applauds YouTube’s Censorship, Urges Facebook to Increase Vaccine Story Suppression
White House Pressured Big Tech to Censor Americans’ Speech During COVID Vaccine Rollout
In a recent revelation, it has been disclosed that the Biden administration exerted pressure on Big Tech companies to censor Americans’ speech regarding the COVID vaccine. Shockingly, Google’s YouTube complied with the White House’s requests even before Facebook was coerced into doing the same. These documents were shared with House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and obtained by The Daily Wire.
YouTube Takes the Lead
An email dated April 18, 2021, reveals that Facebook President for Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, expressed concern after being informed by senior White House advisor Andy Slavitt that Facebook was falling behind in removing content that led to vaccine hesitancy, while YouTube had made significant progress in this regard.
Clegg, a former deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom, wrote in the email, “There are some pretty serious — and sensitive … issues we need to address. He was appreciative of the data we sent through on Friday, and confirmed that they had never received so much data from us before.”
It seems that the White House believed Facebook was lagging behind other tech companies, as Clegg mentioned that Andy attended a meeting organized by Biden’s censorship czar, Rob Flaherty, where it was concluded that Facebook was a “disinformation factory” while YouTube had made significant strides in removing vaccine hesitancy content.
Facebook Email
Earlier this year, Jim Jordan released the “Facebook Files,” which exposed how the Biden administration pressured the social media giant to suppress speech it disagreed with. This included limiting the reach of outlets like The Daily Wire and boosting legacy media outlets.
In emails released by Jordan, Flaherty suggested that Facebook should change its algorithm to prioritize authoritative news sources like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal over The Daily Wire.
The latest batch of emails demonstrates the close collaboration between the White House and Big Tech companies, as well as the companies’ eagerness to fulfill the administration’s demands. The Biden administration set specific goals for Facebook to censor anti-vaccine content, particularly targeting those who were not swayed by official sources of information.
Clegg mentioned that Slavitt was furious when Facebook failed to remove a post critical of the COVID vaccine, which happened to be one of the most popular posts in the data set provided to him. Clegg raised concerns about First Amendment protections, but Slavitt dismissed them, claiming that the post undermined confidence in the vaccine among the target audience of the Biden administration.
Slavitt even asserted that YouTube would never allow such content, as revealed in the emails.
Facebook Email
About ten days later, it became apparent that Google was closely following the Biden administration’s requests. In an email dated April 29, 2021, the Google/YouTube government affairs team mentioned their discussions with White House staff regarding YouTube’s policies and efforts to combat COVID-19 misinformation. The email indicated that these discussions were fruitful and well-received.
Google Email
With the release of the “Twitter Files” and the Judiciary Committee’s findings on Facebook, the American public has witnessed the collusion between the Biden administration and Big Tech companies to suppress speech and silence dissenting voices. The “Facebook Files” were inspired by the ”Twitter Files,” which exposed how Twitter directly communicated with the Biden administration and the FBI, discussing tweets and accounts of individuals expressing concerns about the COVID vaccine.
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What are the implications of the collaboration between the White House and tech companies in relation to freedom of speech and democracy
Meet the White House’s expectations and urged the company to “do better” in terms of removing vaccine hesitancy content. This pressure from the government raises concerns about the violation of free speech and the ability of tech companies to operate independently without government interference.
Facebook’s Compliance
Although Facebook appeared to be lagging behind, it eventually complied with the White House’s requests. In another email exchange, Clegg reassured Andy Slavitt that Facebook had taken action to address the issue of vaccine hesitancy content. Clegg stated, “We’ve taken down 12 million pieces of information. We’ve added warning labels to 167 million posts. We partner with over 80 different fact-checking organizations around the world.”
These numbers indicate the extent to which Facebook was willing to cooperate with the government’s demands to censor certain speech. The question arises as to whether this level of censorship is necessary and whether it infringes on individuals’ right to express their opinions freely.
Concerns over Freedom of Speech
The Biden administration’s actions, as exposed by these documents, raise concerns about the erosion of freedom of speech in the digital age. While there is a need to combat misinformation and disinformation, the line between combating falsehoods and suppressing dissenting opinions becomes blurred when the government begins pressuring tech companies to censor specific content.
The role of Big Tech in policing online speech has increasingly become a topic of concern. The fact that the White House was actively involved in pressuring these companies to censor speech related to the COVID vaccine rollout implies a collusion between government and corporations that threatens the principles of democracy and open discourse.
This revelation also sheds light on the power wielded by major tech companies such as Google’s YouTube and Facebook in shaping public opinion. With their algorithms and moderation policies, they have the ability to control the narrative and influence what information individuals have access to. It is crucial to question whether such power should be concentrated in the hands of a few companies, especially when there is evidence of governmental influence over their decision-making processes.
Conclusion
The disclosure of the Biden administration’s pressure on Big Tech to censor Americans’ speech during the COVID vaccine rollout raises significant concerns about freedom of speech and the role of digital platforms in shaping public discourse. The collaboration between the White House and tech companies, as evidenced by the emails, brings into question the independence of these companies and highlights the need for transparency and accountability in their moderation practices.
As technology continues to play a central role in our lives, it is essential to strike a balance between combating misinformation and preserving the fundamental rights of individuals to express their opinions freely. The actions of the Biden administration and the compliance of Big Tech companies must be scrutinized to ensure the protection of democratic values and the right to engage in open and honest debates about important issues such as public health.
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