Sen. Kamala Harris is telling supporters that she wants to hold online platforms such as Facebook and YouTube “accountable” for “hate speech” online. However, a full reading of her comments makes it clear that it’s not just “terrorist content” that she’s going after. The senator is also extremely interested in curbing what she views as “misinformation” being disseminated via online platforms.
In a speech given at the NAACP, Sen. Harris told supporters that she intends to hold social media platforms accountable for content posted by users. She also said social media platforms would be held accountable if they failed to police content that is considered to be a threat to democracy.
This content, according to the senator from California, includes hateful content, misinformation, content promoting cyber warfare, and content promoting domestic or international terrorism. Sen. Harris did not provide information regarding how her administration would hold social media platforms accountable for material posted on their sites. However, even a cursory reading of the senator’s record makes it clear that she has no problem going after companies and individuals who do not bow to her wishes.
When Sen. Harris was Attorney General of the state of California, she attempted to go after airlines with apps that did not conform to California’s privacy policy labeling laws. She promoted a harsh truancy law that wound up tossing innocent parents in jail for no good reason. In order to cover up for a police laboratory technician who was intentionally sabotaging her work and using her position to steal drugs, then-AG Kamala Harris went after the judge who condemned Kamala Harris’ failure to inform defense attorneys that the state was relying on shoddy evidence.
Naturally, there are many who feel that monitoring the internet to some degree would be a good idea. After all, there is plenty of harmful content on social media platforms, and individual terrorists and terrorist groups such as ISIS have used platforms such as Facebook to promote murder, mutilation and other heinous crimes. However, trusting the government to set down policing standards for social media platforms would be nothing short of a disaster.
After all, the definition of “misinformation”, which Sen. Harris wants to eliminate from social media sites, is extremely vague. Much of what the Republican Party believes would be considered “misinformation” by liberal Democrats. Conservative or even remotely conservative speech would be censored by law as being “hateful”.
Any mention of the fact that biological sex is not the same as “gender identity” would be treated the same as an ISIS statement calling for the murder of infidels. Religions that hold to “non-tolerant” ideals could eventually be banned from using social media platforms in any way, shape or form.
Such extremism in the name of “policing social media” is not far-fetched as all that Democrats would need to do to make online censorship a reality is revoke Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This is the portion of law that stipulates that social media platforms cannot be held accountable for content posted by users. Without this section, companies could be sued or may even face federal charges if users post certain types of content. Given this fact, social media platforms would naturally go overboard in sanitizing their sites to avoid facing legal action.
The Founding Fathers had experience dealing with a government that prohibited certain types of speech, and so made sure that the freedom of belief, speech and association was enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Eliminating this freedom for some people eliminates it from everyone, as history makes clear.
Anyone who is concerned about the fundamental principles behind the Bill of Rights should be quick to reject Sen. Harris’ plans to force social media sites to police user content.
~ Patriotic Freedom Fighter
