A complex story is unfolding – based on discovery of a hard-drive belonging to the son of former Vice President Joe Biden. On that hard-drive are emails that appear to confirm activities by both men – potentially criminal, at least highly untruthful. Revealed by a newspaper, the story was suppressed by social media outlets. See, e.g., https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/10/14/election-interference-facebook-suppressing-new-york-post-bombshell-story-of-damaging-hunter-biden-emails/.
Cries of foul by Trump supporters, who can see no legal basis for suppressing evidence of untruthfulness and potential criminality before an election have triggered an avalanche of pre-election activity.
First, the outcry to republish the facts continues. That outcry was met by counter-cries that emails could be true-but-hacked. The counter-counter-cry is that the source is known and honest, no evidence of hacking exists, and if even hacked, facts matter. The information is of enormous “public concern.” See, e.g., https://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2020/10/yes-the-hunter-biden-emails-are-authentic-by-larry-c-johnson.html; and https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-emails-senate-homeland-security-committee-investigating-hard-drive-laptop.
Second, potential misuse of power and political bias by social media companies has inflamed the US Senate. Pre-election hearings are planned, letters to the FBI multiplying. Likely to focus on antitrust regulation and civil liability, they will delve into information suppression. See, e.g., https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-amazoncom-inc-media-misinformation-831341e1d56e48b5100375a2fd9d27b6; and https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republicans-call-on-twitter-facebook-bosses-to-testify-amid-censorship-claims-say-subpoena-in-the-works; and www.dailywire.com/news/numerous-lawmakers-send-letter-to-fbi-director-demanding-answers-about-hunter-biden-laptop.
The backdrop for these hearings is a report – dating back months – calling for regulation of social media giants and ending liability exemptions in section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. The latest incident is salt in the wound, raising the stakes for social media outlets, suggesting a need for accountability. See, e.g., https://www.nationalreview.com/news/senate-republicans-take-aim-at-liability-protections-for-social-media-companies-ahead-of-november-election/.
Third, in concert with new civil liability – for libel, tort, contract, election law violations – the Republican National Committee is suing at least one social media outlet for “in-kind” political donations to Biden, via suppression of the incriminating emails. See, e.g., https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2020/10/16/rnc-files-fec-complaint-twitter-gave-in-kind-contribution-to-biden-campaign-n1064081.
Fourth, new evidence is emerging – suggesting the FBI may have had access to the incriminating hard-drive and emails in late 2019, as the impeachment process was unfolding. If incriminating emails were available, the source known, and they offered exculpatory material – which would have assisted in the President’s defense – the question is, why were they not made available at the time? See, e.g., https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-fbi-hunter-biden-laptop; and https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-emails-giuliani-attorney-fbi. At hearings – perhaps in other contexts – the FBI Director will have to answer.
Fifth, a wider question hangs over this entire discussion – like a giant umbrella. What role should increasingly powerful social media platforms play in the future. Should they be regulated, subject to civil lawsuits, antitrust law, broken up, held to a higher standard of care than at present?
Does exercising editorial control and manipulating third-party content change their legal status and obligations to the public? Should they remain exempt from civil liability as “interactive computer service” organizations – a provision intended to nurture a onetime fledgling industry – or have they outgrown that protection?
If they can selectively suppress information on matters of public concern, potentially influencing a presidential election by content control, what implications does that have? Where do they fit, if at all, into public forum law? See, e.g., https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/824/public-forum-doctrine. They are not government, but their power is considerable, verging on monopoly or oligopoly.
Finally, in some ways, all these questions vector to a simpler question. What is social media? Is it more like television or telephone, newspaper editor or delivery boy, email domain or public bulletin board?
Has social media become so powerful that – in effect – it is a “public forum,” and must be managed that way, even though not formally part of the government? Is it like a public park – or use of private space for public speaking – and if so, what kinds of restrictions are reasonable? If it must block criminal activity, can it also block political opinions with which private owners disagree? Is that reasonable?
Unfortunately, just as we enter the swift current of an enormously important national election, these questions have popped again. They are legal, but also political – and not likely to be resolved before the election.
In time, the Biden story will be known, Senate hearings held, Section 230 scrutinized, election violations decided, antitrust regulation and civil liability reconsidered, FBI behavior reexamined, and social media put under bright lights.
What all this activity reminds us is that – like it or not – we live in a complex world, characterized by fast, concentrated, unaccountable, increasingly manipulable communications technology – on which we all depend.
Implications are social, professional, legal, and political. They raise profound questions of trust – in modern technology and who controls it, the integrity of our institutions and democratic process, as well as how we relate to each other.
In time we will sort these questions out. But presently, evaluating the Biden email revelations and what they mean – we are at a disadvantage. The law is unsettled, complex and needs to be resolved – but the election is just days away.
While the First Amendment is sacrosanct, manipulation of highly sensitive content – credible news that can affect an election – by powerful, unregulated, legally sheltered “interactive computer services” should be forbidden. Time is short. Facts matter. The full story should be out – and social media should help get it out.
Why aren’t there any “share buttons” for twitter, Parler, etc?
Join the Data Dividend Project.org to end Tech tyranny
Or get your $$$ due from Tech.
Big Tech blocking information on virus & now elections
End this
Join Telegram & or Parler.
This istroubling and all the more reason to re-elect our President because under a Biden/Harris administrsaion these investigations will be squelched and we will never know the truth!
I am more concerned about why the FBI had the laptop for several months and have said nothing about it. If our top law enforcement division is fooling the American people and interfering with an election – as their previously did with with the Russian information, then we are no different from China‼️? I am thankful that the shop owner made a copy of the hard drive or this may have never seen the light of day
I am not a lawyer, but can’t that be considered accesories after the fact??!
Very disturbing and disgusting. Proves how rotten the media really is.
Censorship brings back the actions of the USSR, China, Cuba, Venezuela, the former Eastern Bloc of Communist Europe. It doesn’t characterize U.S. society as a whole, except perhaps in time of war. Theoretically, we are not in time of war, except in words. The Obama administration expanded censorship through the NSA, FBI, CIA, the Department of State. Facebook and Twitter followed suit to promote their narrative. We need to re-evaluate where we are as a freedom loving society, and promote reasonable freedom of speech as stated in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
And yet, more illegality by the EVIL dumbokraut baskets! Of course, if anything comes of this, I may have a heart attack before I live long enough to enjoy seeing it!
It’s getting scary and it seems a lot of people don’t know how bad it will be if the dems get elected.
We have to end this corruption.
We need an underlying “common carrier” to social media. It would connect all social media, allow you to “friend” people and forward stuff to them across all of social media regardless of what front end they are using — and like a telephone company or the postal system carry *all* messages without looking at the contents. Then people wouldn’t be stuck to Facebook or Twitter because that’s where their friends or family are. That would allow competition in the social media arena for the existing front ends like Facebook, Instagram, etc. The front ends could then filter whatever they want to but at the risk of losing customer to competing front ends.
Hmm, maybe this is part of the setup to remove Biden should he win the election. If Pelosi can’t remove him using the 25th amendment then she can impeach him.
Great article which outlines exactly the socialist nature of the far left, democrats and biden/harris destruction of American freedom.
Control the media, education and social platforms, abolish religious freedom, opposing voices,remove 2nd amendment rights and re-distribute wealth. They would create a large government run socialist society.
These criminal,communist,anti freedom haters MUST be defeated, President Trump is America’s chance.
Please take up the cause for freedom!
Stop the hypocrisy Twitter and Facebook. Time to prosecute the corrupt and perverted Biden Crime Family, and clean out the SWAMP in DC
Not only hi-tech companies but news companies like foxnews block comments that disagree with socialist/dem doctrine, it is getting worse all the time, free speach is free only if you HATE AMERICA! R.E.D., KAF, KAG, VOTE TRUMP AND VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS THAT WILL HELP OUR PRESIDENT CONTINUE HIS GREAT WORK FOR “WE THE PEOPLE”!!
A cover-up I am sure. Look at them, they have found a way out. They are guilty as SIN!!!! Lock them up and throw away the key! Strange how the FBI got involved. Have the Profilers come in and profile them. You would really learn quiet a bit from them.
Excellent essay about our current cultural and political state. Unbelievable that this is legal. Pray that we get some sort of legislation ending suppression of American’s voices!
Not just social media, but ALL media, as in MAINSTREAM media need to be exposed to a very critical review of process.
As anyone with the remotest powers of observation can see, the bias of today’s so called press, for the most part, is totally without integrity when “reporting ” on anything that goes outside their narrative.
In short, they do NOT report news, but merely express an opinion they think we want or need.
I, for one, already have an opinion and do not need or want theirs.
Might be why our President spends so much time on twitter. Anyone disagree with that last sentence?
I’m done now, thank you.
Have a nice day
FBI had this info for over a year Chis Wrey needs to be arrested for holding back info
The fifth paragraph from the end that starts as “The Biden Story will come out” etc. sure sends a message of hope. The cynic in me says that all of this will occur “When Hades freezes over.” There are more ifs than wills. Also should Hiden and Mattress get elected,it will all end up in that place where so many things end up in DC. NOWHERE.
We have to make sure POTUS WINS AND WINS BIG. MAGA/KAF/KAG 2020.
All this is very alarming indeed … a threat to our very existence as defined in our great Constitution and Bill of Rights ! BY THE WAY … let’s all refer to the individuals in the Democrat “party” as, SIMPLY — Democrats — and the “party” as the DEMOCRAT “party.” There’s NOTHING “democrat-IC” about the Democrat “party” today. Unless, perhaps, we use the form “Democraticks” (self-explanatory) and “Demoncrats” … also, self-explanatory . The Democrat “party” — aren’t they the ones who wanted to hang onto slavery and fought long and hard to preserve it ? I recall Ole’ Joe Biden was buddy-buddy with Sen. Byrd who was a “grand wizard” in the KKK … and that was not that long ago and within those 47-years “serving the American Citizens” in his role as a political representative of The People . I’ll bet that the Founders are each spinning their graves at over 4,000 r.p.m. at this very moment as they watch as what they fought for, FOR US, is at the lethal-edge of the “socialist-marxist” cliff-of-no-return… please remember the enormous price paid by all Our Military who gave the ultimate sacrifice to maintain our Freedom. Pray that God saves Us All … all this is virtually the “Second Civil War” in development . Don’t waste your precious VOTE on November 3rd… Please !
There is definitely a conspiracy to withhold important facts from the public. The conspiracy is between the Democrat party, the media, the high tech social media companies and the FBI. There is no denying the connections and the limitations made to suppress facts. If you dare talk about the sensitive issues, you can bet the conspirators will squelch the information to protect their own interests. That is not what this country is about….it is shameful that so many elitists are involved in this reprehensible behavior to force their agenda on the people.
The democratic national committee had to know this activity was out there when they nominated Joe Biden and decided it was unlikely to discredit their candidate. The only people who can let one member of a team of influence sellers go to jail and know the rest are safe are people who own the power. It was not only known: it was this highly questionable method of selling influence to run our foreign affairs that made it so necessary to elect Joe Biden.
Is there really anyone who approves running foreign affairs this way?
Is this media blackout way too blatantly biased to not have a hidden purpose? Are they actually setting the stage for something else. Just curious.
Early last year Steve Hilton on FNC “Next Revolution” mentioned the close Ties that Biden had with China. This is nothing new except the truth is finally coming to light! As my nana used to say the truth never stays buried forever. (Liars always get found out) The Democrats desperate need to get rid of President Trump should be an indication that we are nearing the very damaging truth of how deep this conspiracy against the USA really goes. I personally feel the Democrats are hiding something very serious they do not want us to know!
There are a lot of forces working against the American people. We know the national news media and the rest of the democrat party are suppressing the Biden corruption – they’re in it together. However, the FBI has remained silent and now might be in on the corruption as well. The FBI was clearly on the democrat side during the fake Trump/Russia Collusion hoax! I wonder if the FBI isn’t trying to deep six the Biden e-mails?. These e-mails need to be distributed far and wide!
I do e-mails and have some friends on Facebook. That’s it for social media. I don’t have to use it, and I won’t use it when ethics are being sacrificed for click-baits.
This bufoon Biden and his sleaze ball son Hunter are father and son combo from the liberal loonie party// Biden was and is a crook and will sell the interests of the USA for his own self gain// Check out what he stole when working for crooked OBAMA// Obama got rich in 8 yrs. selling off the USA and Biden was worse// His brother made a lot of $$ in central Amerca and Biden pocketed whatever he wanted at our expense// The FBI was crooked under Comey and its time for a change// Elect the TRUMPSTER or Biden will sell the White House and his soul//
I’d like to know what the hell the FBI was doing with the laptop for a year, unless of course they were in on it ?
Everyone should view the movie “the creepy line” on prime video (it’s free) which explains just what social media is up to.
What an absolute mess!! We the people are paying the highest salaries and benefits to bureaucrats who are not representing the will of the people and who are not elected by us. This must not be tolerated! They must be held accountable for their actions. If laws have been violated then charges must follow so they can be sent to trial…this is essential to maintain the integrity of our judicial system. Also it has been reported that nearly 90% of all government employees are pro Democrat party and contribute accordingly…this must be remedied by equal employment opportunities whereby all those of various political parties should be fairly represented. Discrimination by political parties can not and must not be tolerated! An investigation of governmental hiring practices is needed more then the constant wasting of money by the current congress on malevolent witch hunting impeachment hearings and the like. A constitutional convention is needed for term limits and to address how best to clear the swamp.
In case you’re wondering why the Democrats moved to impeach Trump on such a flimsy charge, profiting politically from a phone call overheard by dozens of people, almost all of whom considered it innocuous, now you know.
The FBI has had the hard drive since November 2019. The Democrats have known since then that at some point tens of thousands of emails detailing Joe Biden’s corruption would surface, and an honest investigation into Biden would lead to the Clintons and Barack Obama and many others in positions of power both within and without our government.
Trump had to be stopped or neutered before those emails surfaced, and to a great extent he has been, from within and without the government. When they could no longer ignore Trump’s instructions, the upper management at DOJ and FBI dragged their feet, delaying investigations and information releases as long as possible, then leaked statements to the press contradicting whatever Trump has said. Meanwhile, the mainstream media either ignored the truth or actively subverted it.
But Trump survived. Impeachment wasn’t enough. They needed more…
COVID-19 took its first victim three weeks after Bill Gates’ Agenda 21/2030 Conference with the Chinese Communist Party, the WHO and CDC (including Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx). What was the last day of the conference about? Shutting down the world economy when an imaginary Chinese corona virus made the leap from another species and created a wordwide pandemic. Days after the conference what happened? A Chinese corona virus made the leap from another species and created a worldwide pandemic, which gave the conspirators the excuse they needed to eliminate Trump’s trump card – the economy.
Trump has a handful of supporters within the US Government, but if it wasn’t before, it should be obvious now the vast majority of our Federal employees, AKA public servants are actively trying to destroy him.
We all got a taste of shady practices while the Clintons and Obama’s were in office. Look at what Hillary got away with. It’s only going to get worse under Biden with the Progressive Communist wing of the party pulling the strings.
Or, we could all do what I do…. just ignore social media and don’t patronize it. I am getting along just fine without it. Yeah, I know…. it’s too late for that. But early on, I figured there was no reason on earth that people needed to know every little aspect of my life.
The combined efforts of the mainstream media (including the social media giants) and the DNC to distort facts and skew public opinion are, in my opinion, acts of sedition!! These people have completely lost any semblance of moral or ethical conduct!!
I never used twitter and no longer use face book for these and other obvious reasons. Their openly biased to conservative points of view and constantly try to move political thought to the left.Those who continue to use these platforms open themselves up to not only socialist propaganda but personal information theft.
The United States is being transformed into an unrecognizable dangerous, hostile place from within by our own government of elected and appointed people. As my dad used to say, “throw the bums out”. I am so proud to see so many young, black veterans running for congress and senate as republicans. They have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and are true patriots in my eyes. The media, which our brave soldiers have sacrificed lives and limbs so that they can have “free press”, have sold us a bill of deplorable goods. They, along with many Hollywood has beens, and every other progressive, have climbed on their lying, scheming band wagon, without knowing or caring about the truth. Like the young man in San Francisco who was attacked and lost 1 or 2 teeth, while demonstrating against the big tech companies said, that is what America will be like if the dems prevail. This is only the tip of the ice berg.
NOW we know what the SWAMP is and who its members are. They deserve penalties reserved for treasonous actions. We should show NO MERCY, even to past presidents who abused their office
All the documents, and talks should be out way before now.
Cover ups and delays are obstruction to justice system but they don’t care. Or, if they are part of the criminal activities, they are hiding the truth for fear of being prosecuted. Or, DOJ is so corrupt that they have culpability to the criminal activities as well.
Deep state cabal is slowly becoming more exposed. God help us Lord. Don’t let the enemy win the election.
Tired of the Democrats gaslighting. Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining. They think we’re all stupid.
Time for dissolution of reg. 230. Time to look hard into anti-trust violations.
THIS SWAMP IS DEEPER THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED! IT HAS GOT TO HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. OF COURSE WE HAVE TERM LIMITS FOR PRESIDENTS, BUT NONE FOR THE SENATE OR CONGRESS. IT WOULD TAKE A MAJORITY OF EACH BRANCH TO PASS TERM LIMITS ON THEMSELVES. BUT THAT WOULD TAKE INTEGRITY THAT CERTAINLY WOULD NOT GIVE US ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS THIS. AFTER ALL IT’S A GET RICH, ABOVE THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY ATTITUDE. TOO MANY UN-ELECTED DECISION MAKERS ALSO. WE ALSO HAVE VOTERS WHO ARE UNINFORMED AND TOO LAZY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. OF COURSE WE HAVE ALLOWED LOBBYISTS AND OTHERS TO CORRUPT MANY IN OUR GOVERNMENT. SELL OUTS!
Absolutely right on. I do not now and have never trusted social media. They are getting away with censoring right now. Some sort of control will have to be used as we see they are out of control and getting away with murder essentially. Who the hell do they think they are?. They are essentially tyrants and getting worse. They are power mad and dishonest to say the least.
Absolutely correct. No doubt about it.
If Biden is willing to hush what his children are doing, is proof that he CANNOT be trusted!!
In the above photo: it looks like Jeff Dunham’s “Walt” is trying to belt out a tune to the hypnotized ZOMBIES.
emailing my ‘goombahs’ is as far as I go with SOCIALIST media. I won’t give those a-holes the satisfaction. Satisfaction. A Rolling Stones song ?
it’s time to put the Obama administration on trial and put to jail.