WASHINGTON — In a harshly worded letter to the CEOs of Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta, Commissioner Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accused all four corporations of engaging in broad censorship operations that violate the First Amendment rights of Americans. According to Carr’s letter dated November 13, these businesses have collaborated with government agencies, media watchdogs, and other groups to censor scientific, religious, and political expression on their platforms.
The letter centers on what Carr refers to as a censorship cartel, which he says consists of alliances with marketing companies, advertising agencies, and fact-checking organizations, including NewsGuard.
The self-described judge of truth NewsGuard rates the authenticity of news sources and has partnered with major advertising networks and internet companies. Carr wonders if these actions, especially those involving NewsGuard, go against the Communications Act’s Section 230 good faith requirement for liability protections.
Phil Stilton, editor of Shore News Network, praised Commissioner Carr for his work, pointing out that Newsguard has played a significant role in the industrial complex of media control throughout the Biden administration.
He said that Newsguard put in a lot of effort to control our platform for almost six years and forced us to follow their extreme, left-wing guidelines. We can only hope that Newsguard’s reign of terror against its media foes will cease. Newsguard was the fangs behind the American censorship cartel.
Carr claimed that big tech corporations intentionally delisted or penalized platforms that shared disapproved narratives, citing congressional reports and investigations that show these companies silenced Americans for just exercising their First Amendment rights. Carr cited NewsGuard’s purported bias in favor of official Chinese propaganda over American outlets and its coverage of controversial subjects like the COVID-19 lab leak scenario as examples.
Carr’s letter asks each business to provide comprehensive information about how they use NewsGuard’s services, how NewsGuard is incorporated into their products, and whether they have any partnerships with fact-checking or advertising firms. According to the FCC official, these facts are essential for guiding future regulatory actions meant to eliminate censoring systems and restore the right to free speech.
The letter, which states that the Administration and Congress would take extensive steps to restore the First Amendment rights that the Constitution guarantees to all Americans, demonstrates Carr’s confidence in upcoming legislative and administrative action on free speech problems. The deadline for the IT businesses’ responses is December 10, 2024.
Carr’s demand for openness is in line with the increased examination of Big Tech’s control over online discourse and its connections to outside groups.
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