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.
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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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