Americans cherish their constitutional right to speak freely. It’s the bedrock of our republic. The Founding Fathers enshrined this protection specifically to prevent government from silencing dissent.
Yet behind closed doors, something troubling was happening for years. And frankly, it’s worse than most of us imagined.
While publicly championing democracy, private communications tell a different story.
Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) exposed what he called the Joe Biden administration’s “vast censorship enterprise” – a coordinated effort between federal agencies and NGOs to suppress Americans’ speech online. The revelations stunned lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
“The Biden Administration created a vast censorship enterprise, comprised of a sprawling network of federal agencies and NGOs that have been working overtime to censor Americans’ speech,” Schmitt said.
“From special reporting portals to the White House press secretary admitting at the podium that they were flagging posts to be taken down, the level of coordination to subvert the First Amendment and remove disfavored speech was beyond what most imagined,” he continued.
The operation wasn’t just theoretical. Indeed, internal communications obtained through lawsuits revealed concrete evidence of government officials pressuring tech companies to remove specific content. They particularly targeted posts questioning official COVID-19 narratives.
When asked about this pressure, Facebook executives admitted that they censored the lab-leak theory of COVID-19 origin because “we were under pressure from the [Biden] administration and others to do more…. We shouldn’t have done it.”
Sound familiar? It should. How many times were conservatives labeled “conspiracy theorists” only to be proven right months later?
The Shadow Censorship Enterprise
Documents revealed by the House Judiciary Committee’s 800-page report showed Facebook executives referred to the Biden White House’s efforts directly as “pressure.” The administration wanted not just “misinformation” removed but also “humorous or satirical content that suggests the vaccine isn’t safe.”
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s ruling noted the government’s censorship targeted “almost entirely political figures, political organizations, alleged partisan media outlets, and social-media all-stars associated with right-wing or conservative political views.”
Let that sink in – our government was deliberately silencing one political viewpoint. So much for liberal “tolerance.”
The operation wasn’t limited to direct government action. The administration also enlisted taxpayer-funded NGOs like Stanford Internet Observatory and the Election Integrity Partnership to flag content for removal.
Targeting Conservative Voices
The evidence showed clear viewpoint discrimination. Facebook communications revealed that they understood the administration wanted “negative information on or opinions about the vaccine” removed – even if that information was factually accurate.
Ever wonder why certain perspectives disappeared from your feed during critical policy debates? Now we know.
While legitimate scientific debate about COVID-19 policies happened worldwide, Americans who questioned lockdowns, mask effectiveness, or vaccine policies faced censorship.
Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya, following a Supreme Court decision on the case, noted: “In the guise of countering misinformation, the Biden Administration used its regulatory power to suppress valid criticism of its COVID response. This led to irrational policies.”
Fighting Back Against Suppression
Senator Schmitt, who initially filed the landmark Missouri v. Biden case as Missouri’s attorney general, continues leading congressional oversight efforts.
“This hearing is an opportunity to expose how a network of NGOs contributed to this vast censorship enterprise and keep up the fight for Americans’ First Amendment rights,” he stated.
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution has moved to examine “the role non-governmental organizations have played in the censorship of Americans, all while receiving billions in federal tax dollars and subsidies.”
Schmitt has additionally introduced legislation to hold social media companies and individual bureaucrats accountable for censorship violations.
Americans deserve transparency about government attempts to control online speech. The Constitution’s protections weren’t designed just for speech everyone agrees with – they exist specifically to protect unpopular or controversial viewpoints.
Key Takeaways:
– The Biden administration created what Senator Schmitt called a “vast censorship enterprise” involving federal agencies and NGOs
– Internal communications show Facebook admitted to censoring the COVID-19 lab-leak theory due to administration pressure
– Government censorship efforts primarily targeted conservative voices and viewpoints
– Congressional oversight continues with new hearings examining how taxpayer dollars funded speech suppression efforts
Source: Yahoo News
