Republican FTC Commissioner Melissa Holyoak published a letter on Thursday expressing concern about Big Tech facilitating content harmful to children and warning that the Biden-Harris FTC could take actions that result in the censorship of Americans’ [conservatives] online speech.
“How social media companies view and treat users increasingly shapes civic discourse and determines the extent of Americans’ freedoms to participate in the modern public square,” Holyoak said.
She responded to the findings in an FTC report commissioned in 2020. Among other findings, she is concerned that the report’s findings and analysis could lead to censorship and suppression of Americans’ online speech. Even if their intent is not to suppress speech directly, it could limit free speech.
The report could lead to the administration forming a biased commission to regulate it. She is insisting on further analysis.
The document states that some of the biggest tech companies—Amazon, Google, Meta, Twitter, ByteDance (TikTok), and Snap—created a vast surveillance operation at the time.
Vague Language
The report “A Look Behind the Scenes: Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services” slams these companies for anti-competitive behavior and the use of algorithms to promote content that could be “harmful.”
Holyoak agrees with the report’s purpose but wants to protect online privacy.
Holyoak has grave concerns about the report’s recommendations. The language is vague and too open to interpretation.
She says the report talks about “more stringent testing and monitoring standards,” but it’s not defined. It could undermine the First Amendment.
She said the FTC is now “unambiguously directing the private sector to comply with its recommendations.”
How easily frightened or pro-censorship tech companies respond to the wording of the 129-page report is concerning.
She warned that social media censors, euphemistically referred to as “trust and safety professionals,” could easily use the FTC’s report to rationalize shutting down dissident speech.
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As far children and social media. Social media is harmful to adults, children should be prohibited from using social media alltogether.
I was talking to a woman the other day, and she said I don’t have children, but if I did I wouldn’t want them to be anywhere near social media until they were at least 18. I said the only to do that with all of the other children using it around them would be live out in the middle of nowhere, and she said you’re correct.
It is ridiculous to live under such horrible conditions that you would have to do that to protect your children.
Ya know, I don’t have anything against government surveillance of social media. It is in the public domain and everyone signs an agreement to that effect when they sign up to use it. BUT DO NOT interfere with my freedom of speech, my freedom to ‘assemble’, or my freedom to protest horrible government actions and decisions.
If they want to do that, they can come after me right after they attack and destroy the left wing (and Hollywood) mobs that seemingly constantly are in a state of frenzy calling for the destruction of the United States.