{"id":2348978,"date":"2024-10-02T19:11:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T23:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-demands-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election\/"},"modified":"2024-10-02T19:46:35","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T23:46:35","slug":"schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Schiff Calls for Big Tech Censorship in 2024 Election"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-7%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2348978&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Representative \u2063Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-demand-big-tech-censor-americans-ahead-of-election\/\" title=\"Democrats Demand Big Tech Censor Americans Ahead Of Election\">urging major tech companies<\/a> to censor what he terms &#8220;misinformation&#8221; and &#8220;disinformation&#8221; as the upcoming election approaches. His recent\u200c letter to CEOs \u200bof platforms like\u2063 Meta, X, TikTok, and\u200d Google expresses concern over the spread of\u200d misleading content \u200band requests details\u200b on how they plan to address this \u2062issue.\u2064 Schiff, along with seven Democratic colleagues, highlights a study suggesting that false and violent content poses a threat to democracy and electoral integrity.<\/p>\n<p>However, the irony\u200b in Schiff&#8217;s demand is notable, as \u200che himself has been a prominent figure\u200d in spreading misinformation in the past. He was a key player \u200bin the accusations regarding the supposed collusion between former President Donald\u200c Trump and Russia, claiming \u200cto have evidence that has since been widely discredited. Schiff&#8217;s previous assertions\u2063 regarding collusion were refuted by a report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which found no \u2063evidence supporting those claims.<\/p>\n<p>This recent \u2064call for tech companies to monitor and censor information comes in the \u2064wake of revelations from Meta&#8217;s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who \u200dindicated that federal authorities had previously pressured platforms like \u2063Facebook to limit free speech, particularly regarding the Hunter Biden laptop story during the\u200d 2020 election. Schiff&#8217;s actions,\u200b therefore, raise questions about consistency and the\u200c balance between combating misinformation and protecting free speech.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is demanding Big Tech censor so-called &ldquo;misinformation&rdquo; and &ldquo;disinformation&rdquo; ahead of the election. But just eight years ago Schiff spread the most damaging election misinformation ever &mdash; the Russia collusion hoax.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/schiff.house.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/letter_to_social_media_companies_election_2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> sent Monday to the CEO&rsquo;s of several tech giants, including Meta, X, TikTok, and Google, Schiff demanded to know how the companies would censor free speech in order to save &ldquo;democracy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We write to your platforms as concerned Members of Congress, seeking further information about your preparation for and response to the spread of misinformation and disinformation,&rdquo; the letter begins. &ldquo;As the technology on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election\/\" title=\"Schiff Calls for Big Tech Censorship in 2024 Election\">social media platforms rapidly expands<\/a>, companies must redouble their efforts to combat issues that threaten our democracy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The letter cites a study from NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights that says &ldquo;distribution of false, hateful, and violent content&rdquo; is a &ldquo;threat&rdquo; to this year&rsquo;s election.<\/p>\n<p>Schiff goes on to lament that platforms &ldquo;have not increased their transparency for external groups who can aid in monitoring election information.&rdquo; Schiff asks the companies whether they will change their policies between now and Election Day and how they will treat users who spread &ldquo;mis- and disinformation&rdquo; &ldquo;differently&rdquo; than &ldquo;ordinary users.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The letter was signed by seven of Schiff&rsquo;s Democrat colleagues.<\/p>\n<p>But for years Schiff leveraged his role as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee to leak unsubstantiated allegations and misleading information to the media about former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s alleged involvement with Russia. <\/p>\n<p>Schiff claimed on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2017\/03\/schiff-russia-trump-collusion-236386\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MSNBC<\/a> in 2017 that &ldquo;there is more than circumstantial evidence now&rdquo; linking the Trump campaign to Russia. He later told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/adam-schiff-says-theres-direct-evidence-of-deception-between-trump-camp-russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN<\/a> he had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2017\/03\/23\/politics\/adam-schiff-trump-russia-grand-jury\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seen<\/a> &ldquo;the kind of evidence&rdquo; a grand jury would want to see. Schiff also told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2017\/12\/10\/schiff-1512927854\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN<\/a> there was &ldquo;damning&rdquo; evidence of collusion.<\/p>\n<p>It was later discovered that the FBI obtained a surveillance warrant against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign staffer, via a secret FISA court. The FBI, according to the report from former Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, never disclosed to the court that Christopher Steele &mdash; who was behind the discredited &ldquo;Steele Dossier&rdquo; &mdash; was a spy. Schiff issued a counter-memo in 2018 that &ldquo;contradicted reality,&rdquo; as explained by my colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2019\/12\/16\/ig-report-proves-adam-schiff-has-been-lying-about-spygate-since-the-beginning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Margot Cleveland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Schiff falsely claimed the &ldquo;FBI and DOJ officials did not &lsquo;abuse&rsquo; the [FISA] process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>When social media users began demanding Republicans #ReleaseTheMemo (the Nunes memo, to be clear), Schiff launched a campaign that called for major tech companies to &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/press\/dem\/releases\/feinstein-schiff-send-follow-up-letter-to-twitter-and-facebook-on-releasethememo-campaign\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expose<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;deactivate&rdquo; the accounts, falsely asserting the accounts were linked to foreign operatives. It was later uncovered by <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/16\/abc-news-refuses-to-ask-adam-schiff-about-his-push-for-big-tech-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matt Taibbi<\/a> that Twitter executives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2035353\/twitter-files-no-evidence-of-russian-interference-found-in-push-for-nunes-memo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">could not<\/a> identify &ldquo;any significant activity connected to Russia.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller also later found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, despite Schiff&rsquo;s persistent claims that he had seen &ldquo;damning&rdquo; evidence of such collusion.<\/p>\n<p>Schiff&rsquo;s letter comes just weeks after <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/12\/if-zuckerberg-truly-regrets-his-2020-censorship-facebook-should-stop-smothering-free-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg<\/a> admitted that Facebook was pressured by the federal government to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-2\/\" title=\"Schiff Calls for Big Tech Censorship in 2024 Election\">suppress free speech ahead<\/a> of the 2020 election. Zuckerberg explained how federal officials within the FBI worked with Facebook to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story. Officials had previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/08\/30\/zuckerbergs-admission-of-fbi-meddling-in-2020-election-is-even-bigger-than-it-seems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told Facebook<\/a> to be on the lookout for a dump of Russian &ldquo;propaganda,&rdquo; which Zuckerberg later told podcast host Joe Rogan was interpreted to include the laptop story. But Zuckerberg, in his <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/08\/27\/zuckerberg-admits-facebook-helped-feds-on-covid-censorship-election-interference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> to the House Judiciary Committee, said the report on the laptop was &ldquo;not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn&rsquo;t have demoted the story.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Zuckerberg also told the House Judiciary Committee that &ldquo;senior officials from the Biden Administration, including the White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/25\/new-docs-reveal-facebook-trained-cdc-bureaucrats-how-to-censor-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COVID-19 content<\/a>, including humor and satire, and expressed a lot of frustration with our teams when we didn&rsquo;t agree.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I regret that we were not more outspoken about it,&rdquo; Zuckerberg wrote. &ldquo;I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn&rsquo;t make today. We&rsquo;re ready to push back if something like this happens again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The reality is, as noted by my colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/09\/18\/hillary-clinton-wants-to-jail-americans-for-misinformation-lets-start-with-her\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Daniel Davidson<\/a>, misinformation and disinformation aren&rsquo;t actually real, they are &ldquo;Soviet terms that relate to psychological warfare.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>For more election news and updates, visit&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/electionbriefing.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">electionbriefing.com<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Adam Schiff urges Big Tech to censor &#8220;misinformation&#8221; before the election, despite previously promoting the Russia collusion hoax<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":2348980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/48010689267_c9a1d7f254_k-e1727882127279.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[39321,42166,6371,42169,5159],"class_list":["post-2348978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2024election","tag-bigtech","tag-censorship","tag-politicalspeech","tag-schiff"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/48010689267_c9a1d7f254_k-e1727882127279.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2348978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2348978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2348978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2348980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2348978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2348978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2348978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}