Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

President Trump Should Strip Social Media Companies Of Section 230 Immunity.
08/20/18

Posted on 08/20/2018 5:42:13 AM PDT by Enlightened1

President Trump should introduce legislation stripping all socialism media companies of their section 230 immunity. What do I mean by this? Please read below.

Since the tech companies are trying to have it both ways where on one hand they are censoring conservatives, promoting Democrats in their social media algorithms, but at the very same time they have public square immunity under federal law from what people post to their web sites. The Tech Left are saying they can do whatever they want when it comes to censorship. However, if you have public square immunity from federal law, then you cannot at the very same time censor conservatives and promote Democrats. President Trump simply needs to make it so that Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.. can no longer have immunity to third party posts. Thus, social media will no longer be treated as public platforms or the modern public square where people can say what they want, but treated as Publishers. Again this is since social media giants want to censor what is being said on their web sites. The Tech Left are trying to have it both ways, and you cannot. You fall under one category or the next.

This above is an easy way to make everyone play by the same rules. If you make a billion dollar as these tech companies do, then say they are liable for all content posted on their web sites like a Publisher. The funny part is the Tech Left for years have been arguing they are just a public platform and they cannot be held accountable. However, since they are now openly and actively censoring people it is time to strip away their section 230 immunity. Section 230 is part of the Digital Millennium Copyright act, and it holds that platforms are not liable for content posted by third parties to their websites.

It would be great if social media were neutral forums. However, since they are not neutral forums then we have a problem. Since the algorithms are rigged to favor Democrats and Leftists the Justice Department must open an investigation into the social media companies to determine if the algorithms are an “in kind” election contribution. For instance, if you own Billboard, then you cannot give that Billboard to a political candidate. That is known as “in kind” contribution, and there are contribution limits. Thus, if you like a candidate and you donate the maximum money. You then cannot go put out a bunch of commercials for that candidate. This is because you already maxed out giving money to the candidate. What these tech companies are doing by rigging the algorithms is the functional equivalent of giving a candidate free billboards and TV ads.

The above is the key for President Trump to stop the tech left election engineering and rigging. President Trump should have the DOJ send subpoenas to all these social media companies a notice to preserve all evidence, and a notice to preserve all documents. If they fail to do this, hide information, etc… then they can go to prison under federal laws for tampering with evidence and documents. Furthermore, President Trump can send them notices of anti-trust, election meddling and election fraud, Federal Elections Commission and to the Anti-Trust commission.

The tech companies have made a bet. They believe the Democrats are going to win the House of Representatives in November of 2018. If this happens, then they are off the hook. This is because they will not have Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz and others to hold them accountable since the Democrats would be in control. They believe as long as they help the Democrats they are free and clear. This is why President Trump needs to send out the notices to preserve evidence, subpoena them and open a criminal investigation for election meddling, election engineering and illegal “in kind” campaign contributions made by social media giants. This is all in clear violation of campaign finance laws.

This is the Tech Left Coup. Remember Dinesh D'souza was investigated, charged and sent to prison over giving 20k to a friend through alleged shell donors, then why is there no investigation into the “in kind” contributions? Remember too the new Black Panthers got investigated for standing outside of voting centers with clubs to intimidate voters. Although Holder let them go. Anyhow, these are the Democrats blocking everyone and intimidating everyone.

So when Twitter and Facebook rig their platforms so that Democrat content goes to the top of the pile, that is the functional equivalent of giving someone a free commercial. That’s a clear campaign contribution of billions of dollars.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Politics/Elections; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last
To: Enlightened1

It’s only really an “in kind” contribution if you could show they are supporting some specific candidate in an election. Just showing they are supporting an ideology doesn’t really cut it.


41 posted on 08/20/2018 8:19:11 AM PDT by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FLT-bird

Government regulation of free speech has never been a good idea. I don’t care if Facebook or twitter censors my posts. If they keep it up they will eventually go the way of My Space. Don’t get the government involved. The government is not your friend or protector. Giving the government this kind of regulatory power over the internet will not end well.


42 posted on 08/20/2018 8:24:07 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (Freep mail me if you want to be on my Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Ping List)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Liz

What’s good for the Facebook will be good for the Free Republic. Think about it. Regulating speech on the internet is never a good idea. Just let Facebook and Twitter die on the vine. We don’t need the government to protect us from left wing ideologues. We need the government to leave us alone. We will win this war as long as we don’t fall for the leftist idea that we need government regulations to help us. They will destroy us.

This is a Trojan Horse. Don’t let it through the gates.


43 posted on 08/20/2018 8:41:41 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (Freep mail me if you want to be on my Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Ping List)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe

One point———we are highly organized against Facebook.

There are no highly organized groups against FR.


44 posted on 08/20/2018 8:48:09 AM PDT by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

This is brilliant. A very clean answer to the problem - shut down the algorithms or lose your immunity. Let me know tomorrow.

Done.

Outstanding.


45 posted on 08/20/2018 8:55:01 AM PDT by RinaseaofDs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Liz; Jim Robinson; xzins

If “WE” are organized against Facebook, then why do “WE” need the government to regulate them?

And if the government regulates FakeBook you can put money on the fact that they will come after Free Republic with a vengeance.

This is a Trojan Horse. Facebook and Twitter can afford liability insurance because they are huge. The liability insurance that Free Republic would have to buy to protect itself from libel suits with no 230 protection would force this forum to shut down.

I cannot emphasize how stupid this proposal is.


46 posted on 08/20/2018 8:56:39 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (Freep mail me if you want to be on my Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Ping List)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

BTT


47 posted on 08/20/2018 9:02:52 AM PDT by Rumplemeyer (The GOP should stand its ground - and fix Bayonets)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe

Except....remember, we have the govt on our side.

Pres Trump made the first move.

Facebook-—a public company-—is no doubt scared silly.

FR does not have the entanglements Facebook has.


48 posted on 08/20/2018 9:03:25 AM PDT by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: Liz; xzins; Jim Robinson
Facebook-—a public company-—is no doubt scared silly.

Are you kidding me. Facebook is praying this will go through. They can afford to hire people to police their sites and they can afford liability insurance. This will lock out companies that would othwise rise up to compete with them. This would give them a monopoly on social media.

Dan Bongino has been warning about this for months. He dedicated an enire show recently to warning conservatives about getting on this bandwagon. It is a Trojan Horse.

49 posted on 08/20/2018 9:09:48 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (Freep mail me if you want to be on my Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Ping List)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe
Don’t fall for that. If they do that to Facebook they will do it to Free Republic. Bad idea.

You are probably right. But something needs to be done.

These are crony capitalist monopolies serving the interests of Big Government. They promote the censorship of all points of view that don't serve the need of their Big Government partners.

They are the government's censors.

50 posted on 08/20/2018 9:25:55 AM PDT by FreeReign (Rudy: Sessions is recused from everything)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Our Intel agencies ushered many of the public mediums the World has been using known as Microsoft, Facebook and even literally have the keys and rights. Because our Intel agencies man one man in each company the owner and mb are them seem publicly traded America gained more intelligence gathering at no cost in a global war between nations for information on everything and everyone


51 posted on 08/20/2018 9:54:59 AM PDT by Jumper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe

The government has already gotten involved by giving these companies exemption from being regulated like media companies because they argued, they had no editorial control over content. Well now they are showing that they clearly do have editorial control over content by banning people.

Secondly, several of these companies are monopolies in their areas. As such they should either be open to all ie, no censorship - or broken up under anti trust laws.


52 posted on 08/20/2018 9:55:46 AM PDT by FLT-bird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Liz

Except....remember, we have the govt on our side.
********
This won’t last forever. There are better solutions. See my prior comment.


53 posted on 08/20/2018 11:37:08 AM PDT by Socon-Econ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Socon-Econ

Of course, we cant depend on the govt we’ve got to be in place forever....although I would never underestimate DJT.

So obviously it must be done in such a way so as to make it impervious to reversal.


54 posted on 08/20/2018 12:36:18 PM PDT by Liz ( Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: richardtavor

I originally joined Facebook to stay in touch with friends in the past in 2008. Although it looks like no where as active as it use to be these days. Generation Z hates it because their parents are on it. So facebook will eventually fade away.

To answer your other question. Do not worry the Executive Orders are being prepared now...

Look out for them in the next 2 weeks.

Opps did I write that?


55 posted on 08/20/2018 1:55:31 PM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Socon-Econ

That may be right. It kind of feeds into the scan “net neutrality” plans. Hence the “seems” and the “unintended consequences” portion of my comment. These things can sound great but have to be thought through.

We certainly could not let what you predict happen.

The prepositioning of new laws and regulations — designed to block the predicted reflexive and strategic responses of the left — to them being “called” on their use of federal protection — could be considered too.

An international corporation held by stockholders involved in a multitude of services and sales (Google, Amazon, etc) can be subject to different laws than a small tightly held forum supported by members (FR).

We believe in decentralized limited government. Let’s not make it easy for corporations behaving that same way to force small operations to playt on the same skewed field.


56 posted on 08/20/2018 2:32:59 PM PDT by Weirdad (Orthodox Americanism: It's what's good for the world! (Not communofascism!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Heard a Republican lawmaker talking along these lines a couple weeks back...dont recall who. Seems a good approach.


57 posted on 08/20/2018 4:21:24 PM PDT by AndyTheBear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe

Such a law should not cover donation funded message boards like Freerepublic or the Dummie site. Make it apply to for profit companies that have dominance in a social media niche. Places where exclusion cuts somebody off from the genral public debate.


58 posted on 08/20/2018 4:35:20 PM PDT by AndyTheBear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Interesting. I thought Trump was preparing the press for something like that because he has harped on it more than usual.


59 posted on 08/20/2018 4:47:43 PM PDT by richardtavor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe; Jim Robinson

I agree that this would impact free republic.

What about declaring them to be common use public utilities like phone companies? Phone company can’t cut you off because it doesn’t like your speech


60 posted on 08/20/2018 6:12:20 PM PDT by xzins (Retired US Army chaplain. Support our troops by praying for their victory.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson