I have never believed the grift that “mainstream media” was shadow banning conservative talk. When you look at all the popular podcasts, videos, and even Fox News, they always outperformed the so-called “mainstream media”. That’s the grift. That is how conservatives kept gun rights, evangelicals, and white people in their base. Even when there was nothing to worry about, they needed to make it seem that way. Even in power, Homeland Security is going after social media, while the FTC is going after news.
Homeland Security is sending subpoenas to all major tech companies to get identification on people protesting ICE. According to the New York Times, “The government is taking more liberties than they used to,” said Steve Loney, a senior supervising attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. “It’s a whole other level of frequency and lack of accountability.”
In recent months, Google, Reddit, Discord and Meta have received hundreds of administrative subpoenas from the Department of Homeland Security. The major reason DHS uses administrative subpoenas is because they don’t require a judge’s approval. Many times judges would require more proof. It is similar to the administrative warrants ICE was using to enter people’s homes.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson sent Apple a threatening letter about their Apple News. It’s what would come as a wannabe mobster threat of “reminding him of Apple’s obligations to its customers”. Using the old, tired claim that “liberal” news is pushed more than “conservative” news on the app.
Homeland Security and FTC Pushing to Suppress Free Speech
“Big Tech companies that suppress or promote news articles in their news aggregators or feeds based on the perceived ideological or political viewpoint of the article or publication may violate the FTC Act if that suppression or promotion (1) is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of service; (2) is contrary to consumers’ reasonable expectations such that failure to disclose the ideological favoritism is a material omission; or (3) when those practices cause substantial injury that is neither reasonably avoidable nor outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or competition,” the letter stated.
The ironic part is that the statement claims it will never make threats or solicit money. Money is the only way problems go away in this administration. Threats is all it makes. FCC have threatened The View. I don’t like that show but you know what I do? I don’t watch it. That whole Jimmy Kimmel debacle.
What is funny is that The View is no more a news show than Jessie Waters. It is all opinion. As someone who grew up during the Reagan through Biden, I have never seen suppression of free speech coming from the presidential level. Now, the right wing have been making that claim for decades. Yet, they have never been shutdown or threatened. They whine about suppression all the time.
Best Way to Get DHS to Back Down?
Take them to court. Social media companies notify people when a subpoena has been issued. The holder has 10 days to file it in court. In September, according to NYT, DHS sent Meta administrative subpoenas to identify the people behind Instagram accounts that posted about ICE raids in California. The subpoenas were challenged in court. Department of Homeland Security withdrew the requests for information before a judge could rule.
There is a history of DHS withdrawing the subpoenas prior to getting a judge’s ruling. This could mean a ton of things, but it mostly means its circumstantial. If they had facts on their side, they would’ve got a judge’s approval easily.
What strikes me as hilarious is the amount of MAGA that enjoy this. Screaming this is how it has been on the right. When? How many times have MAGA claimed that any Democrat should be murdered? Name one that was arrested for writing something online. Hell, Trump pardoned everyone that stormed the Capitol. Cheering demonstrators being murdered but crash out when Ashli Babbit or Charlie Kirk is mentioned.
Homeland Security, FTC, and FCC are emboldened by the administration. They are told they have unbridled authority when they do not. This is what happens when rich people are placed in power and never met resistance. What happens when you stand up to a bully? They tend to back down.