Kerby Anderson
Yesterday I ended my commentary by saying that you should trust your own judgement. Many of the so-called “experts” really don’t understand your world even though they have great power in the media and politics to control you.
I think it is time to realize that censorship is going to happen, especially on social media platforms like Twitter, and plan accordingly. Last month, the Senate Commerce Committee held hearings on the topic of online speech. Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter) appeared on screen with a long beard and long hair looking like he had been living on the streets in San Francisco. The editors of the Wall Street Journal said he “gave the impression that he could not care less about his company’s abuse.”
One minute he denied that they were silencing views contrary to his political beliefs. The next minute he seemed to contradict himself by arguing they need to monitor what is being said in order to earn the trust of people using Twitter. Remember this is the social media organization that shut down the account of the New York Post for weeks and blocked all links to their story about the business dealings of Hunter Biden.
Here’s the issue. If Twitter can shut down the account of the fourth-largest newspaper in the country (and the oldest newspaper, founded by Alexander Hamilton), it can shut down you. Senator Ted Cruz asked Dorsey, who “elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear?”
We are just going to have to face the fact that Twitter and other social media platforms are not going to change, especially after the 2020 election results. Congress could change the Communications Decency Act that provided them with immunity from legal action. But there aren’t enough members of Congress interested in amending the law. We need to find other ways to communicate because Twitter will continue to censor with virtual impunity.