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As we inch closer to the November election, Big Tech has pushed all-in on censoring content on its social media platforms in the quest to ensure that there is not a repeat of 2016, when they were used to help elect President Donald Trump.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was the first to have the audacity to flag content from the president, who has 82.5 million followers on the social media platform, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now committing to do the same in his quest to “fight hate speech.”
The problem being the left-of-center Trump-hating platforms are the judges of what’s hate speech and what’s not, and of what constitutes white supremacy — a catchword on the left to censor the opposition.
Meanwhile, the new kid on the block, the free expression site Parler, couldn’t be more pleased as its user count is exploding.
“The 2020 elections were already shaping up to be heated — and that was before we all faced the additional complexities of voting during a pandemic and protests for racial justice across the country,” Zuckerberg said in a statement posted Friday on Facebook. “During this moment, Facebook will take extra precautions to help everyone stay safe, stay informed and ultimately use their voice where it matters most — voting.”
Included in the changes is that Facebook will now flag “newsworthy” posts from politicians that break its new rules, to include the President of the United States.
“Often, seeing speech from politicians is in the public interest, and in the same way that news outlets will report what a politician says, we think people should generally be able to see it for themselves on our platforms,” Zuckerberg wrote. “We will soon start labeling some of the content we leave up because it is deemed newsworthy, so people can know when this is the case.”
Zuckerberg said he was committed to making sure Facebook “remains a place where people can use their voice to discuss important issues. But I also stand against hate, or anything that incites violence or suppresses voting, and we’re committed to removing that no matter where it comes from.”
Three weeks ago, I committed to reviewing our policies ahead of the 2020 elections. That work is ongoing, but today I…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, June 26, 2020
Turns out, it wasn’t a twinge of his liberal conscience that spurred Zuckerberg into action.
The Facebook founder saw his personal wealth drop more than $7 billion when some companies stopped advertising on the social media platform, Fox Business reported.
The article noted that Facebook shares dropped 8.3 percent on Friday, eliminating $56 billion from the company’s market value, when the British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever joined with other notable brands like Verizon and Ben & Jerry’s, in pulling its advertisements.
The actions being a part of the #StopHate4Profit campaign, which is led by left-wing civil rights groups like the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP.
We will pause all paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the US in support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign. Facebook, Inc. must take the clear and unequivocal actions to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate. >>>https://t.co/7OpxtcbDGg pic.twitter.com/I989Uk9V3h
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) June 23, 2020
As Fox Business reported, the #StopHate4Profit campaign “encourages companies to pull ads from Facebook specifically because they allege the company amplifies white supremacist voices and does not do enough to stop hate speech from spreading.”
In many circles on the left, the president and his entire base are considered “white supremacists.”
Coca-Cola pulled its advertising from social media for 30 days, as Rush Limbaugh’s producer Bo Snerdley shared in a tweet.
Coca-Cola pauses paid advertising on social media platforms https://t.co/kvkrTIqrxA #FoxBusiness
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) June 27, 2020
Parler saw its users jump by a “whopping” half a million last week, according to user metrics obtained by Mediaite.
Twitter played a big role in the development after it banned Carpe Donktum, a very popular conservative meme creator — President Trump often retweeted posts from the account.
While the left immediately went on the offensive, labeling Parler a “far-right echo chamber” that allows hate speech, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, went to work plugging the site.
I’m proud to join @parler_app — a platform gets what free speech is all about — and I’m excited to be a part of it. Let’s speak. Let’s speak freely. And let’s end the Silicon Valley censorship. Follow me there @tedcruz! pic.twitter.com/pzUFvhipBZ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 25, 2020
On Thursday, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, appealed to President Trump to join Parler.
@realDonaldTrump, have you considered joining Parler? You have a lot of fans on that platform, which is dedicated to “unbiased social media focused on real user experiences and engagement.” Content is moderated but not politically biased. https://t.co/xFZPz3hnVM
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 25, 2020
A host of popular conservative figures are on Parler, to include Carpe Donktum. The list goes on and on, but includes Blexit activist Candace Owens, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, the popular Catturd account, The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway, investigative reporter Sara Carter.
Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale has an account, as do Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.
BizPac Review is also represented.
As seen below, Bongino noted that liberals “are losing their minds about the runaway success of Parler.” He also explained that just because a person opens an account with Parler, that doesn’t mean you have to close other social media accounts.
In fact, they can use the liberal platforms to steer more conservatives to the new site.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1276705322955149312?s=20
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1277023242025385986?s=20
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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