Letter to President Joe Biden - Buchanan Urges Biden to Crack Down on Big Tech
Letter
Dear President Biden,
America is a nation founded on free speech, yet the social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have repeatedly silenced conservative viewpoints and engaged in monopolistic behavior to stifle competition. These companies need to be held accountable and our constitutional freedoms protected. That's why I am urging you to nominate individuals to head the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that are committed to preserving Americans' First Amendment right to free speech and countering Big Tech censorship.
Disturbingly, companies like Twitter and Facebook have increasingly and unapologetically censored conservative views while hiding behind strong liability protections. Recent actions by these companies are anti-competitive and promote censorship. The quick and seemingly coordinated actions by Big Tech companies including Amazon, Apple and Google to shut down Parler, a popular social media site that aims to be a free speech alternative, are a chilling example on how these companies have engaged in anti-competitive behavior in order to harm their competitors and silence opposing viewpoints. We cannot let Big Tech choose what companies and ideas succeed or fail. That is why it is essential that any leaders of the FTC and FCC get to work immediately to uphold the principles of free speech that are currently under attack.
While social media companies should be empowered to remove illegal and threatening content from their platforms, it is clear that current protections under Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 are too often used to silence content that companies may disagree with. Last Congress, I supported legislation to severely curtail the legal liability protections afforded to Big Tech. The legislation would require providers to operate in good faith, including refraining from selectively restricting content based on ideological views.
It is imperative that our constitutional freedoms are upheld which is why I implore you to select nominees that will work to achieve these goals. I look forward to your timely response on this critically important matter.
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