{"id":2349268,"date":"2024-10-03T00:10:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T04:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-demands-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election\/"},"modified":"2024-10-03T00:13:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T04:13:01","slug":"schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-26\/","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-26%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=2349268&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>Rep. Adam Schiff, \u200ca Democrat from California,\u200d is urging major \u2063tech companies to take stricter measures against\u2064 what he\u2064 considers misinformation and disinformation \u2064in the lead-up to the upcoming election. In a recent letter to CEOs of several\u2063 platforms such as Meta, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Google, \u2062Schiff expressed\u200c concerns\u200d about the spread\u2063 of \u200dfalse \u200binformation\u2064 and called for\u200b increased \u2064transparency and actions to monitor election-related\u200c content.<\/p>\n<p>Schiff&#8217;s letter referenced \u200ca study that highlights the threat posed by &#8220;false, hateful, and violent content&#8221; to the democratic\u2062 process.\u2064 He questioned how these platforms would differentiate between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-8\/\" title=\"Schiff Calls for Big Tech Censorship in 2024 Election\">users spreading misinformation<\/a> and regular users, expressing disappointment in their transparency with external monitoring groups.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his current stance\u200b advocating for censorship, Schiff has a controversial history; he previously spread unverified claims regarding the alleged Trump-Russia collusion, asserting\u2064 that there was compelling evidence \u2063linking the Trump campaign to foreign interference. These\u2063 assertions were later discredited, particularly by investigations \u200dthat found no wrongdoing. Additionally, Schiff criticized social media users for\u2062 demanding\u200c the release of information regarding these allegations while calling for their accounts to be deactivated when\u2063 opposition arose.<\/p>\n<p>His recent push \u200dfor tech companies to take action \u200dagainst misinformation \u200breflects a broader dialogue \u200babout the\u2064 responsibility of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-facebook-files-the-effort-to-censor-vaccine-information\/\" title=\"Facebook&#039;s Vaccine Information Censorship Effort: The Facebook Files\">social media \u2064platforms<\/a> in\u2063 safeguarding the electoral process, even as criticisms remain about Schiff&#8217;s \u2062own past handling of sensitive information.  <\/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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fcc-commissioner-blasts-democrat-complaint-against-fox-news-affiliate-fcc-is-not-dncs-speech-police\/\" title=\"FCC Commissioner Blasts Democrat Complaint Against Fox News Affiliate: FCC Is Not \u2018DNC\u2019s Speech Police\u2019\">censor free speech<\/a> 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":2349269,"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":[32431,23092,6371,32171,5159],"class_list":["post-2349268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2024-election","tag-big-tech","tag-censorship","tag-political-commentary","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\/2349268","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=2349268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349268\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2349269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2349268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2349268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2349268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}