WASHINGTON DC — U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) and 188 Republicans in the U.S. House are urging the Biden-Harris Administration and White House officials to stop coordinating with social media companies to secretly censor speech on their platforms. Davis and Republican leaders are also requesting specific information regarding the White House’s secret program to censor speech they deem as “misinformation."
From their letter to President Biden:
“We are concerned that your administration’s actions are undermining First Amendment principles by pressuring private companies to censor free speech. On July 15, 2021, your press secretary, Jen Psaki, announced that your administration is “in regular touch with” social media platforms and “flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.” The federal government’s ongoing efforts to pressure private companies to censor speech that it disagrees with is alarming and an affront to the First Amendment.”
“…As staunch defenders of the First Amendment and free speech, our position is simple: the answer to speech you disagree with should be more speech, not less. As the President of the United States, you have a duty to defend the Constitution. Every American cherishes free speech, but your administration is attacking this fundamental right.”
Read the full letter here. Their letter also made the following information request to the Biden-Harris Administration regarding the White House’s secret censorship program:
1. Please provide a list of every social media company the Biden-Harris administration is working with to censor content your administration deems as “disinformation.”
2. Please provide a complete list of the social media posts and content the Biden-Harris administration has flagged for social media companies to censor and identify which company such content was requested to be removed from.
3. Please provide a complete list of social media users the Biden-Harris administration has requested social media companies to suspend or ban and identify which company such requests were made of.
4. Please produce any written policy or plan outlining the Biden-Harris administration’s censorship program.
