(The Center Square) A Georgia lawmaker who claims she was silenced when she switched parties last year has convened a hearing to show social media companies can deplatform people for manipulating their messaging.
Rep. Mesha Minor (R-Atlanta) said her call for a “First Amendment, free speech rally” at the Georgia Capitol was intended to demonstrate a lack of respect for opposing views.
“One of the things that happens in America is that we have a range of opinions,” Miner, who left the Democratic party last year, said at the start of the hearing.
“But just because someone’s opinion is different from yours doesn’t mean you should discount their opinion or not listen to them.”
The string of witnesses affected by deplatforming has highlighted how decisions by social media companies, often shrouded in secrecy, affect their lives.
“This sets a dangerous precedent that tech companies will have the power to silence dissent and rewrite the narrative to suit their own purposes,” said Nick Miles, a business owner and former events director. Walk Away CampaignSaid.
“Such control over public speech is a direct attack on the principles of free speech and open debate.”
“We have to ask ourselves: ‘Who gets to decide which voices to listen to and which to ignore?'” Miles added.
“When social media platforms, designed as forums for free expression and the exchange of ideas, become arbiters of truth, we tread a dangerous path. The ability to question, challenge and dissent is not just a right, it is the lifeblood of our democracy.”
group Said Facebook page Deleted Following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Twitter files“Government or parliamentary agencies may take an interest in the site and write to the social media platforms requesting that they review the content and use their discretion to determine whether it violates their terms of use,” it said.
“So the platforms are communicating with each other and they’re communicating with the government,” Taibbi said at the hearing.
“This is an invisible process and will result in many accounts being deleted.”
“I believe this violates the First Amendment,” Taibbi added.
“Is this communication legal? Is it constitutional? I don’t think so. But I do think Walk Away is one of the prime examples of the government seeing things that aren’t there, or making up things that aren’t there, and as a result suppressing legitimate citizen speech.”
