[ April 15, 2024 ]
It is not at all surprising that either Pelosi or the EU would be planning this. They represent the losing side, but they are determined not to lose their grip on power. They know that if what they stand for — globalism, socialism, mass Muslim migration — were put to an honest and fair vote, they would lose massively. They fear Trump and the European populists. They know they can’t defeat the forces of freedom in open debate. So they’re determined to shut down all opposing voices. That’s why the social media giants are steadily choking off all conservatives.
“Nancy Pelosi Declares a ‘New Era’ of Internet Regulation; E.U. Threatens Same,” by Nick Gillespie, Reason, April 16, 2019:
We’ve all been watching this develop for years now: The internet is being slow-choked, not by rapacious ISPs forcing users to pay for “fast lanes,” but by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic who want to have a bigger role in what we’re allowed to do and say online. To be sure, lawmakers are being greatly aided in their efforts by major tech players such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Tim Cook, who are explicitly calling for regulation to maintain current market positions in a sector defined by creative destruction (all hail MySpace and Blackberry!).
In an interview with Recode‘s Kara Swisher, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.) pronounced that in the tech sector, the “era of self-regulation” is over when it comes to privacy and speech rules. Sounding a lot like conservative Republicans such as Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, she zeroes in especially on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as the thing that needs to be torched.
As the title of a new book puts it, Section 230 comprises “the twenty-six words that created the internet.” Author Jeff Kosseff explains that by immunizing websites, platforms, and service providers from “lawsuits over materials that their users upload,” Section 230 “fundamentally changed American life.” Indeed, the internet as we know it is based on both “content created not only by large companies, but by users,” writes Kosseff, who observes that of the top 10 most-trafficked websites in the United States in 2018, only Netflix “mostly provides its own content.” All the rest—Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter, et al.—either rely heavily on user-generated content (including potentially actionable reviews and comments about everything under the sun) or exist to guide users to such content (Google, Yahoo).
Pelosi is done with all that, telling Swisher that the freedom of expression empowered by Section 230 is “a gift” and a “privilege” that can be rescinded if major tech companies don’t move in the direction she and other politicians want. She frets over companies such as Facebook and Twitter buying up app makers and other services without explaining themselves to regulators. “Is this just commerce and they see a market opportunity and decide to take it on?” says Pelosi. “Or are they in competition with each other, buying something before somebody else doesn’t buy it and then all of a sudden, three or four firms dominate the marketplace and engines of search and the rest of that?”
“For the privilege of 230,” Pelosi warns, “there has to be a bigger sense of responsibility on it. And it is not out of the question that that could be removed.”
Like many Democrats, Pelosi remains convinced that Facebook helped to throw the election to Donald Trump by not regulating political advertising tightly enough and providing a space for the Russians to practice dark arts (the idea that Russian social media changed the outcome of the election is simply wrong). On top of that, liberals and progressives are calling for more policing of whatever they define as “hate speech.”
The motivations might be slightly different than those on the right—who accuse Facebook, et al. of limiting the reach and popularity of conservative figures and opinion due to ideological bias—but the endpoint is the same: a repeal of Section 230. “Google and Facebook should not be a law unto themselves,” Sen. Hawley told a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “They should not be able to discriminate against conservatives. They should not be able to tell conservatives to sit down and shut up.” What Pelosi calls a gift, Hawley calls “a sweetheart deal” that should be ended by enforcing some sort of viewpoint equality on social-media platforms. Cruz has effectively called for the repeal of Section 230 and the implementation of something like a Fairness Doctrine for the internet. During a debate last year with former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) during the 2018 elections, Cruz said
“Right now, big tech enjoys an immunity from liability on the assumption they would be neutral and fair… If they’re not going to be neutral and fair, if they’re going to be biased, we should repeal the immunity from liability so they should be liable like the rest of us.”
It’s not at all clear what it means to say “they should be liable like the rest of us,” since publishers have the absolute right not to publish things and, under existing precedent, sites have the right to moderate some comments without becoming liable for the ones they allow to remain. But it’s never a good sign when conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats start sounding like one another. Throw in President Trump’s recent statement that we need to “do something” about social media sites, and the only safe conclusion is that Section 230 is in real danger. And with it, the internet as we’ve known it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, the European Union (E.U.) has approved “The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market” whose Article 13 mandates that
anyone sharing copyrighted content must get permission from rights owners—or at least have made the best possible effort to get permission—before doing so. In order to do this, it’s thought that internet services and social networks will have no choice but to build and enforce upload filters and generally apply a more heavy-handed approach to moderating what users post online….
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27 Comments
4 years ago
and that Nadler dude, he’s a “Legend In His Own Lunchtime”
4 years ago
Internet regulations are merely another step toward totalitarianism, another step toward censoring those of diverse view than those of the Leftist-Fascists, Islam, and Globalism. It is not a new ploy those of the Left, the Democrats, the EU, and others of the Western faux-Democracies are bent on the nullification of one’s Charter or Constitutional Rights.
It is only the beginning of the suffocation of Freedom of not only Speech but Freedom of Religion, excepting Islam, and the self-anointed godless of the Leftist-Fascist movement.
4 years ago
Reply to
Ziggy46
The inventor of the WW web Sir Tim Berners-Lee had something to say along such lines last year Ziggy, he said as he’d invented the web to aid freedom and the passage of news and ideas, he deplored the actions of those trying to “regulate” it because they needed to “regulate” the thoughts and speech of the people.
He’s been ignored of course.
4 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
AND, this is why freedom-loving people find ways to counteract tyrants like this. We create software that circumvents the NSA and other Govt agencies who try to limit our rights on the Internet. I am a White Hat Hacker and I can tell you that NO ONE IS TOTALLY SAFE, but there are precautions you can take, if only people would take the time to learn and use them. Of course, those very same people may just say, “I have nothing to hide.”, but that isn’t the point of freedom. When someone else tells YOU what you can and cannot do, exempting themselves (which all tyrants do), then it’s time to get creative.
Install and use a credible:
VPN
TOR
O/S Security, such as Norton, AVG, etc.
ALSO, if you have Windows 7 thru 10, you are already vulnerable (your location) if you have not shut off certain SERVICES in your Operating System. For more information, go here:
WINDOWS 7:
https://www.marksanborn.net/howto/turn-off-unnecessary-windows-services/
WINDOWS 10:
https://www.geckoandfly.com/25083/free-tools-disable-stop-windows-spying-tracking-you/
4 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
Excellent, Poppey; it is another malevolent plot to whittle away one’s Charter of Rights or Constitutional Rights. The Democrats will not stop in their endeavor of autocratic rule. You and others in Britain are facing the same, likely worse, but merely for the moment; this Constitutional Republic is catching up.
4 years ago
If she’s against it, I’m for it…and if she is for it, I’m against it.
Period.
4 years ago
This has to be stopped, SOON!
It’s being slow walked through the courts to affect 2020.
It has been proven censorship on the internet and social media has affected the midterms.
They want total censorship of conservatives and anyone opposing their hideous agenda.
Can’t something be done at the FCC?
4 years ago
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4 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
Former President Bill Clinton created the Washington lobby industry that is never even mentioned by mainstream media that legalized bribery of Washington politicians by foreign actors!
4 years ago
Reply to
felix1999
“Insider Trading” laws do not apply equally to them. They often make nice profits on inside information that would send anyone else to jail. Glenn Beck did a show on it and I’ve read it elsewhere too
4 years ago
In the first place, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have the power to declare anything…
4 years ago
Let me paint a “word picture” here, if freedom of speech took a human form, it might resemble an attractive young white man and woman, but in this year of 2019 it would be obvious that both “figures” would look like they’d been the victims of a particularly nasty and recent mugging.
Now the interesting thing would be the location of the assault, picture if you will, a dimly lit street corner in a rough part of town where gangs of “ne’er – do – wells hang out { ladies of doubtful virtue and assorted footpads with designs on your person, wallet} and freedoms, all seeking your vote while they pick your pockets clean as they simultaneously seek to remove YOUR defensive cudgel.
The attractive young figures of virtue have made themselves unpopular in certain circles by complaining loudly about the nocturnal activities of the “roughs”. i.e duffing up those who identify the crims. Now the ladies of doubtful virtue have been riding high on the hog for many years, pointing out the sins of others while they drip with jewels and “awards” for their virtue signalling efforts some find expensive in more ways than one.
Low and behold, up goes the hue and cry from the great unwashed, “violence, murder, robbery, a threat to our yewman rights {guvnor}, ” they hit us back”. UP rush the “impartial” press clutching their little books as they suck their sharp new pencils in eager anticipation of a “scoop”.
{They were tipped off and hiding round the corner}. Now the press understand which side their jam donuts are buttered, {they’re buttered on both sides} because they help shield the miscreants from the long suffering publics sceptical gaze.
In the end, there’s little to be gained by reasoning with the “roughs”, they’ve been getting away with murder and daylight robbery for years, so soak em with disinfectant and scrub the swabs clean {ice cold fury works best}.
Then hang out to dry.
Their dignity is hard to see when you have their pants in your locker.
4 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
It is truly an upside down world.
What is wrong is elevated as right and virtuous and what is right is denounced as evil. The aggressive push of this mindset, on a global scale, to make evil the norm, continues to shock me. These globally pushed norms keep sinking lower and lower. Now even infanticide is becoming a “right”.
4 years ago
Reply to
Poppey
How entertaining your analogy was! Awesome! Thank you. Described the DemonRat party perfectly!
4 years ago
Nancy, you are full of baloney. It is not a “gift” to use the internet, which can legally be rescinded in U.S.
4 years ago
The government has enough power over our lives, no more, please!
4 years ago
Pelosi’s argument is a moot point. Google, Facebook, Twitter, et. al ARE ALREADY censoring. So what is her point other than to make it the law.
4 years ago
These beasts are hampered by the freedom of speech :)))
4 years ago
Ukcing deranged old lady. Please get her to GO HOME. Nag your husband or something. Don’t you have grandchildren or you can’t be bothered??
Please OLD LADY go away. We don’t NEED YOU!! Retire or something. Just go away!!
4 years ago
When using the Internet, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE get yourself a reputable VPN, like PIA, NORDVPN or something else that is PAID for. Then, install TOR and run that AFTER you turn on your VPN. DON’T EVER USE A FREE VPN found on freeware sites. DECIDE AND THEN PAY FOR A VPN AFTER YOU HAVE CONSIDERED ALL THE REVIEWS ON IT.
Some VPNs keep LOGS of its users and YOU DO NOT WANT THAT VPN. You want a VPN that does NOT keep logs. I use both PIA and Nord. Nord is in Panama and because Nord can refuse a Federal WARRANT to see INFORMATION ON ITS USERS (IT NEVER KEEPS LOGS of your login and where you go on the Web), it can deny the US Federal law from getting any information on its users. PIA resides in America, and it does not keep logs. However, if the Feds were to come into PIA with a warrant, PIA would have give over any information on its users. THIS is exactly why you need a VPN outside of the American Justice system.
INVESTIGATE ALL VPNs before you decide. But, also install TOR (Tor.org) and use its browser to navigate the Internet. It will be like having 4 deadbolts on your solid steel door.
Last, if using both a VPN and TOR, do not browse for very long using a VPN IP address. CHANGE IP/LOCATIONS often. AND, USE THE TOR BROWSER!!!!!
I am a retired I.T. Administrator Specialist and I used to work in the Banking Industry in Security, so I can tell you that your ISP IS TRACKING YOU. They can’t with a VPN and TOR running on your PC. I also use PeerBlock and I have several firewalls, but that is not required for the normal user.
4 years ago
Does it surprise anyone with any sense of freedom that the Demonocrats and the leftist progressives in the EU and UK are trying to silence any criticism of their policies over social media? This is what fascist/communist do, control, control, anything that stops the spread of their nefarious ideals needs to be controlled or shutdown..Hitler did it, Stalin did it, Mao did it, Castro did it, Madman Mudoro is doing it. All so called socialist need to control the media at all costs
4 years ago
The “Ministry of Public Enlightenment” part two will be here soon.
Liberals love everything that worked well for Goebbels and the Nazis.
4 years ago
Are we sure that Cruz and Trump are on the same page as Pelosi? I assume Trump meant we need to do something about the tech giants and their regulation of the internet. If he sells us out on this matter then he is toast, as far as I am concerned — but somehow I doubt that is what he meant.
4 years ago
Reply to
pcanon
Cruz and Trump are not on the same page. There is no love lost with Cruz towards Trump. Trump pushed Cruz over the top for his Senate re-election. Cruz wasn’t doing well. Trump always tries to be complimentary towards fellow Republicans to look unified even though allot of the GOP wants him out. Trump is disrupting the demands of their donors – flooding the market with cheap people (VISAS or ILLEGALS) so their bottom line rebounds. As salaries go UP for employees, their profit goes DOWN. Mass immigration and VISA people work for less money. and DEMS want more voters.
Trump knows something has to be done about that. It’s in the courts, Maybe with Barr something else can be done. Twitter is already threatening to censor Trump over their lefty “community rules”.
