IT & Technology News
Reporting on information technology, cybersecurity, and tech policy. The Daily Signal includes analysis, commentary, and opinion on technology’s impact.
-
GW Students Debate Campus Censorship After Removal of Posters Critical of Chinese Communist Party
When George Washington University made national news last week after removing artwork criticizing China’s human rights abuses, it also sparked debate among students about free speech on college campuses. Controversy ensued when students hung posters that initially appeared to be advertisements for the Winter Olympics in China. Upon closer examination, they depicted Chinese human rights…Maggie Hroncich -
GoFundMe’s Sordid History of Censorship of Conservative Causes
The popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe has taken down yet another conservative donation campaign. As donations for the “Freedom Convoy” trucker protest in Ottawa, Ontario, reached $10 million on Feb. 4, GoFundMe pulled the plug on it and took the page down, alleging violence and unlawful activity as an excuse. To add insult to injury, the…Douglas Blair -
In Face of Big Tech Censorship, Free Speech Alternatives Emerge Online
Big Tech actors like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube feel increasingly comfortable banning conservative voices from their platforms. But as Big Tech is willing to censor conservatives for their speech, other platforms devoted to free expression are starting to fill the gap. The director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Technology Policy, Lora Ries, contends that…Douglas Blair -
Facebook Censors Pro-American Children’s Books as ‘Disruptive Content’
Writer, commentator, and editor Bethany Mandel only wanted to provide alternatives to the woke books being provided to children in school. So she was shocked when Facebook took down her page advertising such alternatives due to “disruptive content.” “There was no warning,” Mandel says of Facebook’s action. “They told us that our ads were low…Douglas Blair -
Based on False Assumption, Amazon Still Censoring Book on Transgenderism
For three years, Amazon sold Ryan Anderson’s book “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment.” Then, last February, the book disappeared from Amazon’s virtual shelves. Anderson—president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative research institute—first learned his book was being censored when he received a message from someone who wanted to…Virginia Allen -
Beijing Pays US Social Media Influencers to Hype Olympics, Downplay Boycotts
China’s government is paying social media influencers in the U.S. to promote the Beijing Olympics and distract from diplomatic boycotts over its human rights violations, according to disclosures filed with the Department of Justice. The Chinese Consulate is paying Vippi, a New Jersey-based public relations firm, $300,000 to have influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch…Laurel Duggan -
Federal Court Declares Texas Social Media Law Designed to Curb Censorship Unconstitutional
A Texas social media law designed to curb political censorship violated tech platforms’ First Amendment rights, a federal court found on Wednesday. Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction blocking HB 20, signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, in early September, and declared it…Ailan Evans -
Welcome to Mark Zuckerberg’s New Dystopia: the Metaverse
Americans are familiar with the idea of a dystopian future, dominated by an inescapable metaverse and ruled over by Big Tech overlords. Films such as “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report” depict a world conquered by technology and the terrifying consequences. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that he wants to take that world…Douglas Blair -
Climate Democracy Dies in Darkness, Censorship, and Groupthink
A British leftist group calling itself the Center for Countering Digital Hate has issued a report on what it calls the “Toxic Ten,” which are so-called fringe websites spreading “climate change denial.” The 10 include our group, the Media Research Center, as well as Breitbart, The Daily Wire, Townhall Media, Newsmax, The Washington Times, and…Tim Graham -
Rep. Jim Banks, Censored by Twitter, Warns Big Tech Could ‘Wipe Conservative Voices Off the Map’
Rep. Jim Banks, chair of the Republican Study Committee, shares with The Daily Signal how Twitter censored him for calling Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine, who now identifies as a woman, a man. The Indiana Republican breaks down why Twitter censored him and what conversations he has had with the social media…Mary Margaret Olohan -
New York Times Slams YouTube for ‘Arbitrary’ Censorship of Left-Wing Channel
The New York Times published an article late Thursday castigating YouTube for removing the channel of British left-wing news channel Novara Media. The article, titled “How a Mistake by YouTube Shows Its Power Over Media,” criticized the tech platform’s “opaque and sometimes arbitrarily enforced” rules, describing the company as an information “gatekeeper.” Novara, a British news…Ailan Evans -
Lawsuit Targets Massachusetts Public School System for Racial Segregation, Censoring Students
A Massachusetts public school system is actively promoting racially segregated student groups and a “bias reporting program” that encourages students to report instances of their peers’ biases to school officials for disciplinary action, a lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges. Parents Defending Education filed the lawsuit against the Boston-area Wellesley Public Schools Tuesday in the U.S. District…Mary Margaret Olohan -
YouTube Censors Popular Comedian for Suggesting ‘Trans People Pose a Rape Threat to Women’
More than 5 million users follow Steven Crowder’s popular late-night comedy show on YouTube, but the video platform has frozen his channel for a week over an episode spotlighting California’s decision to house biological males in women’s prisons. “We removed content from and issued a strike to the StevenCrowder channel for violating our hate speech…Mary Margaret Olohan -
American Principles Project Back on YouTube After Backlash Ends Censorship
YouTube temporarily “terminated” the American Principles Project’s YouTube channel over Columbus Day weekend, contending that the pro-family organization had violated its terms of service by reuploading content from a “previously terminated channel.” Following backlash from conservatives and lawmakers, YouTube reinstated the American Principles Project’s account Tuesday. Google told The Daily Signal that the decision to…Mary Margaret Olohan -
Conservative Activist Calls Out Facebook for Suppressing His Posts
For more than a decade, Texas native Don Kirchoff has used Facebook to share news and information with fellow conservatives. The longtime Heritage Foundation supporter and Heritage Action Sentinel frequently posts articles from The Daily Signal as well as content from other conservative organizations and media outlets. But is anyone seeing them? Many of Kirchoff's…Rob Bluey -
Troubling Twitter Censorship and Far Left’s Attempt to Erase ‘Women’
Twitter slapped a “sensitive content” label last week on a Daily Signal video report from 2017 on a mounted Border Patrol unit. The 4-minute video provides an inside look at why the Border Patrol historically has used horses. Twitter initially denied suppressing the video, but eventually admitted to censoring the content and lifted the block…Virginia Allen -
Facebook Smeared Me With Its ‘Fact-Checking.’ Now, I’m Suing the Tech Giant.
I just sued Facebook. I didn’t want to sue. I hate lawsuits. I tried for a year to reach someone at Facebook to fix things, but Facebook wouldn’t. Here’s the problem: Facebook uses “independent fact-checkers” to try to reduce fake news on its site. That’s a noble goal. Unfortunately, at least one Facebook “fact-checker” is…John Stossel -
Even RBG Can’t Escape Censorship From New Leftists
The American Civil Liberties Union tweeted a botched quote on Sept. 18 that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg supposedly told the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearings in 1993. On the one-year anniversary of Ginsburg’s death, the American Civil Liberties Union attributed the following quote to her: “The decision whether or not to…Nicole Russell -
Facebook Reveals How It Decides What Content to Suppress
Facebook released its updated Content Distribution Guidelines on Thursday, shedding more light on how the tech giant decides what content it suppresses. While Facebook has previously provided some details on the types of content that receive reduced distribution in Facebook’s News Feed, the updated guidelines are designed to provide clarity and accessibility, Director of Product…Ailan Evans -
Texas Governor Signs Bill Barring Social Media Companies From Censoring Views
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a law Thursday preventing social media companies from banning users for their political views. The law, known as HB 20, prohibits social media platforms from banning or suspending users and removing or suppressing their content based on political viewpoint. The bill was introduced by state Sen. Bryan Hughes partly…Ailan Evans