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Posted on 09/30/2022 5:04:04 AM PDT by george76
There is no bigger threat to democracy in our country than the power of Big Tech companies to control what information we as citizens are allowed to share. The monopoly power that companies such as Google and Facebook have over the online advertising market gives the far-left employees of these firms far too much control over what ideas can be shared on their platforms.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Kennedy (R-LA) dealt a huge blow to these monopolists last week when they successfully attached an amendment to the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act that forbids Big Tech firms and online publishers from forming an agreement on how to censor content online.
After decades of lax antitrust enforcement at the Federal Trade Commission, both Google and Facebook have been able to merge their way into monopoly positions in the online advertising marketplace. Using their ill-gotten market power, Google and Facebook are able to capture about half of all online advertising spending. This is why even though news site traffic has been up 40% since 2014, the revenues that publishers collect have been down 58%.
The JCPA counteracts this monopoly power by allowing smaller online publishers to band together and negotiate with Google and Facebook as one larger, more powerful entity. A similar law in Australia has forced Google and Facebook to pay online publishers billions. This is why Big Tech firms such as Google and Facebook have spent millions fighting this legislation here in Washington.
But there was one danger with this proposed arrangement — that was that Google and Facebook would use this narrow antitrust protection not only to bargain about the price of their online advertising services, but also to make rules that would enable them to censor what online publishers published.
After weeks of negotiations, Cruz and Kennedy found bipartisan language that makes it clear Big Tech companies are not allowed to negotiate with online publishers over content moderation rules.
This legislation will not end the power of Big Tech to influence what information we can share, but it does strike a big blow to their bottom line, and it will allow conservative publishers (including the Washington Examiner) to keep more of the revenues we produce.
And where the rubber hits the road—who has standing to bring suit in court?
It’s all about the money. Who’s got control of the money?
Definitely not the average joe/jill for sure.
“And where the rubber hits the road”
On lovers’ lane pavement... because somebody is got screwed... Who??? Look in the mirror and look at your family.
And yet, the blatant censoring and censorship continues on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc., etc., etc.
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BigTech and media will continue to censor with impunity knowing the Biden (anti-)”Justice” department will do nothing to stop them. Who too busy raiding the REAL criminals, any who dare even question much less oppose the Biden junta and tyranny.
[[And yet, the blatant censoring and censorship continues on social media platforms]]
Yes, but now by golly, “it’s forbidden”. /s (like you say, it won’t slow them down one iota)
They already “form agreements” all the time. Andrew Tate was banned from every single platform - publishing, social media, video, payments - within 36 hours. Same happened to
Laura Loomer the same - despite the fact that she was the GOP nominee for a Congressional seat.
Hehehe.
I was just making mention of the obvious that is still occurring in my very cynical way. My bad.
I read and listen to a LOT of sites and many that use Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, among some others but mainly those three. And they are always mentioning that they are still getting material censored or removed, even to this day.
Same happened to Alex Jones and Parler
I agree- they won’t stop just because a bill “forbids it”- infsct, they just might increase their censorship in retaliation knowing that there is no teeth to the new law or regulation or whatever it is. Liberals are very revenge oriented people
#1 The US is not a democracy, but a constitutional republic. Some threats to democracy are good.
#2 There are bigger threats, such as media influence. We would have none of the Deep State if the media itself were honest and not Deep State controlled.
“There is no bigger threat to democracy in our country than…”
Oh please…
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