{"id":2349318,"date":"2024-10-03T00:55:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T04:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-demands-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election\/"},"modified":"2024-10-03T00:57:17","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T04:57:17","slug":"schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-29\/","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-29%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=2349318&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, a Democrat \u2064from \u2063California, has recently called on major tech companies to\u200c enhance their censorship of &#8220;misinformation&#8221; and &#8220;disinformation&#8221; in\u200c the lead-up to the upcoming \u200delection. In a letter addressed\u200c to CEOs of\u200d companies like Meta, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Google, Schiff expressed concern about how these companies are preparing to handle such content, citing a study that deems the spread of false information a significant threat \u2063to democracy. He criticized the platforms for their lack of transparency and questioned\u2063 how they would \u200dtreat those spreading misinformation differently from regular users.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this recent \u2063advocacy, Schiff has a history of promoting what has been labeled as damaging \u200dmisinformation himself\u2014specifically, the allegations surrounding Russian collusion\u200d with the Trump campaign. In several\u2064 instances, he \u2062claimed to have seen concrete evidence \u200cof collusion, \u2062but investigations, including that by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, found no evidence supporting those claims.<\/p>\n<p>Schiff&#8217;s\u2063 push for greater censorship comes shortly after \u200dMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook had\u200b been pressured by the federal government to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tom-cotton-introduces-bill-to-keep-critical-race-theory-out-of-military\/\" title=\"Tom Cotton Introduces Bill To Keep Critical Race Theory Out Of Military\">restrict free speech<\/a>, particularly concerning the \u200dHunter Biden laptop story in the 2020 election context.\u2064 This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schiff-calls-for-big-tech-censorship-in-2024-election-18\/\" title=\"Schiff Calls for Big Tech Censorship in 2024 Election\">context raises questions<\/a> about the balance between censorship \u200band free speech, particularly as it relates to political dynamics and past instances where misinformation allegations\u2062 were leveled without sufficient evidence.  <\/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":2349319,"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-2349318","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\/2349318","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=2349318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2349318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2349319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2349318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2349318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2349318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}