Is free speech too dangerous for the Big Tech Oligarchs and the political class they prop up?
They certainly are acting that way.
Congress sure has made a lot of noise about reining in Big Tech recently, calling them in for hearings, but not much progress has been made, if any at all.
We certainly felt the out-of-control nature of their censorship this week, when I was locked out of posting on my main Facebook page for about 24 hours.
Facebook claimed, “multiple community guideline violations,” but in 13-plus years, we’ve never had an issue or warnings regarding our content.
In fact, since 2007 when I launched my run for president, the internet has had countless posts by my team and my supporters and rarely, if ever, have they violated a single rule!
It seems that in their rush to destroy President Trump, Big Tech is willing to cast a wide enough net to destroy the message of liberty as well.
I think it’s time these platforms have a reckoning … with reality.
I do owe so many of you a “thank you” for spreading the message about this ban, because I can reasonably assume that it would have lasted a lot longer than 24 hours and may have even been permanent!
Facebook’s team said this was all “a mistake” and no hard feelings.
Patriot, I’m not exactly buying their explanation.
I’m worried we may be taken offline by any one of the tech platforms we rely on! They have the ability to bring our operations to a standstill until we find working alternatives.
It seems like Facebook (and others) are now trying to be a force of exclusion instead of an inclusive platform, and I think that’s a shame.
Unfortunately, I expect to see more of this type of behavior.
It’s time to send a message to Congress that we’re fed up with the Big Tech bullies, who’ve benefited greatly from very favorable treatment in Washington.
Click here now to sign the petition calling for the end of the cronyism that has allowed these companies to prosper while destroying their competition.
The argument that the Big Tech companies are private and can “do whatever they want” continues to be used, but it ignores the origin of these companies and their continued subsidies from government entities.
In fact, Facebook alone has benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in direct taxpayer-funded subsidies, which is an unthinkable amount for most Americans that they’ll never be eligible for.
Not only that, but they’ve been able to operate as publishers, making editorial decisions about content while enjoying the protections as “platforms” under the Communications Decency Act, Section 230.
While I’m not necessarily in favor of “reforms” which could actually backfire, I think it’s time to start being honest about what these companies really are.
They have certainly abused this protection, and it’s time for them to feel the heat from Congress immediately.
But in order for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the other platforms and providers to feel Congressional heat, Congress must first feel the heat from you!
Sign the petition now!
Then please rush a donation of $35, $75, or even $100 to help keep Campaign for Liberty online and find alternative platforms, because we very easily could be next.
The targeting of certain organizations by Big Tech due to their political opinions is nothing new. For years we’ve been hearing that it’s up to those who’ve gotten a raw deal to start their own platforms.
And some have stepped up, like Parler, for example. Parler saw a rapid influx of new users when the president’s Twitter account was deleted.
Big Tech responded to this threat by taking them offline completely because they had been using another heavily subsidized company, Amazon, to host their site.
Of course, now they’re suing Amazon, but anyone who has gone up against the elitist law firms that protect Big Tech from litigation knows this is a long, expensive, and often very fruitless pursuit.
Sign the petition to stop Big Tech cronyism.
We continue to be optimistic these issues will be worked out, but rest assured we’re proactively looking at backup options for many of the vendors we use due to all the uncertainty. And at the same time, moving to an unknown and unpopular platform restricts how far the message of liberty can go.
I’m able to post from my Facebook account again . . . for now, but they’ve certainly proven there’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to remain there in the future.
Even YouTube was giving me trouble recently and started to restrict my internet show without a good explanation in that case either. Now we have some backup options for that.
We’ve greatly benefitted from being able to use the large and established social media platforms, but those days could be coming to an end rapidly.
That doesn’t just go for us, but for many others who don’t align politically with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google/YouTube, Instagram, and others.
While we at Campaign for Liberty don’t celebrate any company suffering financially, it is telling that Facebook and Twitter have lost a combined $51,000,000,000 over the last week of banning and censorship.
The market will speak more loudly than anything.
Sign your No More Big Tech Cronyism Petition now, and please consider a generous donation to keep Campaign for Liberty online and delivering our message of individual liberty and freedom, which is needed now more than ever.
These types of changes will have to be made at great expense if they become necessary, but we need to be ready to make the jump if we need to.
Thank you for your dedication to this cause -- we are more determined than ever to fight for access to free speech online.
In liberty,
Ron Paul, M.D.
Chairman
P.S. Liberty will ultimately prevail, but not without you and me facing some tough battles. Many eyes need to be opened, and Campaign for Liberty is keeping the brushfires of liberty burning. Let’s make 2021 a historic year. Please consider a generous donation now.
If you’d prefer to donate via PayPal, please click here.
________________________________________________
The mission of Campaign for Liberty is to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty,
constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a constitutional foreign policy, by means of education, issue advocacy, and grassroots
mobilization.