Trump orders government not to infringe on Americans’ speech, calls for censorship investigation
2 months ago

Trump orders government not to infringe on Americans’ speech, calls for censorship investigation

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump on Monday ordered that no federal officer, employee or agent may unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen, an early step toward his campaign promise to dismantle what he called government “censorship” of U.S. citizens. The president’s executive order, issued just hours after he was sworn in to a second term, comes after Trump and his supporters have accused the federal government of pressuring social media companies to take down lawful posts over concerns around misinformation. The order also instructs the attorney general, in consultation with other executive agency heads, to investigate how federal government actions over the four years of the Biden administration could have infringed on free speech and propose “remedial actions” based on the findings. The Supreme Court last year sided with former President Joe Biden’s administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security. Outgoing CISA Director Jen Easterly has defended the agency’s work, saying it “does not censor, has never censored.” Nina Jankowicz, the CEO of the American Sunlight Project, said that with the order Trump “seeks vengeance for a slight that never happened.” Jankowicz, who ran a federal government Disinformation Governance Board under Biden’s Department of Homeland Security that was disbanded after it was attacked by conservatives, said the order emboldens foreign actors and others “who use disinformation as a tool to destabilize our country and profit from lies.” Trump’s order focuses on Americans’ speech.

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History of this topic

Trump administration halts funding for two cybersecurity efforts, including one for elections
Trending News
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Trump administration halts funding for two cybersecurity efforts, including one for elections

Associated Press  

▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his new administration ATLANTA — The Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials. “I have grave concern for state and local election officials and for the security of our elections going forward,” said Larry …

US cybersecurity agency’s future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration
1 month, 3 weeks ago

US cybersecurity agency’s future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The nation’s cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration. Trump’s new homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, said during her Senate hearing that CISA had strayed “far off mission.” She …

Disinformation experts blast Trump’s executive order on government censorship as ‘direct assault on reality’
2 months ago

Disinformation experts blast Trump’s executive order on government censorship as ‘direct assault on reality’

CNN  

New York CNN — One of President Donald Trump’s first actions as he returned to the Oval Office on Monday was signing an executive order aimed at “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship” of US citizens. “Under the guise of combatting ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation,’ the Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens …

How the Trump administration threatens internet freedoms
2 months, 1 week ago

How the Trump administration threatens internet freedoms

Al Jazeera  

United States President-elect Donald Trump will soon take office, and while much attention has been paid to his stances on immigration, abortion rights and democracy, less has been paid to how he may threaten internet freedoms. In the proposed right-wing governance guide for the incoming administration known as Project 2025, a section written by Carr on the FCC advocates scrapping …

The Top Cybersecurity Agency in the US Is Bracing for Donald Trump
3 months, 1 week ago

The Top Cybersecurity Agency in the US Is Bracing for Donald Trump

Wired  

Donald Trump helped create the US government’s cybersecurity agency during his first term as president. Trump’s alliances with libertarian-minded billionaires like Elon Musk and his promises to cut government spending and corporate oversight have alarmed staffers at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the component of the Department of Homeland Security that defends US government computer systems from hackers and …

Justice Dept. says it’s committed to sharing info about foreign election threats with tech companies
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Justice Dept. says it’s committed to sharing info about foreign election threats with tech companies

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department remains committed to sharing with social media companies information that it picks up about efforts by foreign governments to influence this year’s elections, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told a lawyers’ conference on Friday. 2 official, said that though it’s ultimately up to technology companies to decide what if any action to take, “We will …

Supreme Court Rules That US Government Can Continue Talking to Social Media Companies
55 years, 2 months ago

Supreme Court Rules That US Government Can Continue Talking to Social Media Companies

Wired  

Today, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6–3 decision that the plaintiffs who'd sued the US government for allegedly violating the First Amendment—by communicating with social media companies about misleading and harmful content on their platforms—did not present enough evidence to prove that they had standing to sue. Specifically, the case alleged that government agencies like the Centers for Disease …

Donald Trump Poses a Unique Threat to Truth Social, Says Truth Social
55 years, 2 months ago

Donald Trump Poses a Unique Threat to Truth Social, Says Truth Social

Wired  

Trump Media & Technology Group, the Truth Social parent company majority-owned by former president Donald Trump, filed a document with the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning that helpfully details all of the ways Trump himself poses a threat to the company and its shareholders. “TMTG may be subject to greater risks than typical social media platforms because of the …

How a Right-Wing Controversy Could Sabotage US Election Security
1 year, 1 month ago

How a Right-Wing Controversy Could Sabotage US Election Security

Wired  

The meeting between top US election officials and their cybersecurity partners from the federal government almost went off without a hitch. Instead, Warner lambasted the officials for what he said was their agencies’ scheme to suppress the truth about US president Joe Biden’s son Hunter during the 2020 election and then cover their tracks. His impassioned speech reflected a growing …

Why the fight to counter false election claims may be harder in 2024
1 year, 4 months ago

Why the fight to counter false election claims may be harder in 2024

NPR  

Why the fight to counter false election claims may be harder in 2024 Enlarge this image toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images Brandon Bell/Getty Images In Marion County, Fla., elections supervisor Wesley Wilcox has stopped using the word "misinformation." Sponsor Message Another feature of DHS's election security work that seems to be fading into the background is a website called "Rumor …

US court halts ban on government contact with social media giants
1 year, 8 months ago

US court halts ban on government contact with social media giants

Al Jazeera  

A judge had previously blocked officials from engaging with the companies, in a case over misinformation and censorship. A United States appeals court has paused an earlier order that prevented government agencies from contacting social media companies to influence the content they publish. They alleged that government officials, under both Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, effectively coerced social …

Opinion: No government contact with Big Tech is no free speech win
1 year, 8 months ago

Opinion: No government contact with Big Tech is no free speech win

LA Times  

On Tuesday a federal judge banned communications between large parts of the federal government and social media platforms. But it’s also essential that the government be allowed to engage with social media giants to address manifest harms from online content. Given the vast dominion social media companies hold over public discourse, real concerns exist about authorities potentially using platforms to …

Trump’s free speech social site will censor posts with artificial intelligence
3 years, 2 months ago

Trump’s free speech social site will censor posts with artificial intelligence

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Truth Social is due to launch on 22 February, with promises of being a …

“This isn’t how it works”: Trump’s performative lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter is a futile stunt
3 years, 8 months ago

“This isn’t how it works”: Trump’s performative lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter is a futile stunt

Salon  

Donald Trump announced multiple lawsuits against social media companies on Wednesday, but his dubious claim that tech giants are "government" actors violating his First Amendment rights means that the complaints are destined to fall apart under scrutiny, much like his numerous election lawsuits. Trump was flanked at the news conference by others banned from social media platforms for violating their …

Trump addresses GOP as power to shape national debate wanes
3 years, 11 months ago

Trump addresses GOP as power to shape national debate wanes

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former …

EXPLAINER: Can social media companies boot Trump? Yes
4 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Can social media companies boot Trump? Yes

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Social media companies decided this past week they had finally …

EXPLAINER: Can social media companies boot Trump? Yes
4 years, 2 months ago

EXPLAINER: Can social media companies boot Trump? Yes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Social media companies decided this past week they had finally seen enough from President Donald Trump. That’s not how this works,” said Chris Krebs, when asked Sunday whether censorship by social media companies violated freedom of speech protections. The company said after reviewing Trump’s account in the context of the riot at the Capitol on Wednesday, it was …

Column: Did tech companies go too far in banning President Trump? The answer is no
4 years, 2 months ago

Column: Did tech companies go too far in banning President Trump? The answer is no

LA Times  

President Trump at the rally Wednesday that touched off his followers’ attack on the Capitol. In permanently suspending Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account Friday, Twitter cited his incitement of the violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, as well as “the risk of further incitement of violence.” The platform’s action, coming as it did at the very tail end of …

Trump wants Section 230 ‘terminated’: All about the law which protects social media platforms
4 years, 3 months ago

Trump wants Section 230 ‘terminated’: All about the law which protects social media platforms

Hindustan Times  

US President Donald Trump reiterated his demand to repeal Section 230, a piece of internet legislation, after a hashtag, targeting the outgoing commander-in-chief, continued to trend in the United States for hours. Trump said that Section 230 must be immediately terminated for purposed of “national security”. In a subsequent tweet, the US president said that Section 230 must be immediately …

Firing Christopher Krebs Crosses a Line—Even for Trump
55 years, 2 months ago

Firing Christopher Krebs Crosses a Line—Even for Trump

Wired  

Within minutes of Donald Trump tweeting that he had fired Christopher Krebs as the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency Tuesday night, Twitter slapped on a warning label that the accompanying claim about electoral fraud “is disputed.” The disinformation warning was, in some ways, a fitting denouement to a two-week-long battle between Krebs, the head of the …

As Trump Pushes Election Falsehoods, His Cybersecurity Agency Pushes Back
4 years, 4 months ago

As Trump Pushes Election Falsehoods, His Cybersecurity Agency Pushes Back

NPR  

As Trump Pushes Election Falsehoods, His Cybersecurity Agency Pushes Back Enlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Efforts to protect U.S. elections from disinformation are proceeding amid reports that the head of the agency in the Department of Homeland Security that oversees election security expects to be fired soon by the White House. According to one …

Threat to democracy? Tech CEOs in hot seat over liability shield
4 years, 4 months ago

Threat to democracy? Tech CEOs in hot seat over liability shield

Al Jazeera  

The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Alphabet Inc are testifying before a United States Senate committee on Wednesday over the protections they have under the Communications Decency Act. The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Alphabet Inc are set to testify virtually before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday over whether to repeal a section …

Facebook, Twitter CEOs ordered to testify by GOP senators
4 years, 5 months ago

Facebook, Twitter CEOs ordered to testify by GOP senators

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The GOP push against Facebook and Twitter accelerated Thursday after …

FCC chairman says he’ll seek to regulate social media under Trump’s executive order
4 years, 5 months ago

FCC chairman says he’ll seek to regulate social media under Trump’s executive order

CNN  

CNN Business — The Federal Communications Commission will draft regulations intended for social media companies following a petition earlier this year by the Trump administration, the agency’s chairman said Thursday. In a tweet, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai indicated he will move forward with a rulemaking to “clarify” Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, which currently acts as a …

Trump is moving forward with his plan to regulate social media
4 years, 7 months ago

Trump is moving forward with his plan to regulate social media

CNN  

CNN Business — The Trump administration took a key step on Monday toward fulfilling the president’s executive order on social media, formally asking the FCC to develop regulations that could apply to Facebook, Twitter and other tech platforms. Under Trump’s May executive order, a branch of the Commerce Department known as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration was expected to …

Twitter’s new policy on labeling tweets provides ‘context, not fact-checking’
4 years, 9 months ago

Twitter’s new policy on labeling tweets provides ‘context, not fact-checking’

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — Twitter hasdefended its policy of labeling tweets that are potentially misleading or which glorify violence, days after it began applying such warnings to President Donald Trump’s posts for the first time. The company said in a series of tweets Tuesday thatitwants to promote healthy public conversations by decreasing the “potential for likely harm.” Twitter will …

Lawsuit Says Trump's Order Against Tech Companies Will 'Chill Future Online Speech'
4 years, 9 months ago

Lawsuit Says Trump's Order Against Tech Companies Will 'Chill Future Online Speech'

NPR  

Lawsuit Says Trump's Order Against Tech Companies Will 'Chill Future Online Speech' Enlarge this image toggle caption Twitter via AP Twitter via AP A technology policy nonprofit organization on Tuesday sued President Trump over his executive order attempting to strip away a legal protection long enjoyed by social media platforms. In the first of what is anticipated to be a …

The Trump-Twitter War Shows That Section 230 Can Work Beautifully
55 years, 2 months ago

The Trump-Twitter War Shows That Section 230 Can Work Beautifully

Slate  

This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. But he points out in that same article, “Congress passed Section 230 in 1996 for two reasons: to foster the …

Twitter censors ‘provocative’ Trump post, President hits back with order
4 years, 9 months ago

Twitter censors ‘provocative’ Trump post, President hits back with order

Hindustan Times  

US President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting social media companies may be motivated by personal and not national concerns — in this case, a spat with Twitter — but does reflect a growing concern around the world over the role these companies play in disseminating information and shaping opinions, both akin to the role traditionally played by media firms, even …

Trump, Twitter, and the Failed Politics of Appeasement
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump, Twitter, and the Failed Politics of Appeasement

Wired  

Is it safe to come out? For years, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have donned kid gloves to handle complaints of conservative bias from Donald Trump, other Republicans, and far-right wingnuts. Specifically, Trump is attempting to unilaterally reinterpret the meaning of Section 230, the part of the 1996 Telecommunications Bill that gives the platforms the ability …

Trump seeks revenge from social media giants after Twitter flagged his tweets
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump seeks revenge from social media giants after Twitter flagged his tweets

India TV News  

Two days after Twitter inserted fact checks into US President Donald Trump's tweets, Trump hit back against social media platforms with an executive order on "preventing online censorship" and skewering Twitter for "political bias". "Nothing the president or agencies like the FCC and FTC can legally do could successfully censor such private Internet comment, so the executive order that Trump …

Trump Uses Executive Order To Crack Down On Social Media Companies
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump Uses Executive Order To Crack Down On Social Media Companies

NPR  

Trump Uses Executive Order To Crack Down On Social Media Companies DAVID GREENE, HOST: This fight between President Trump and Twitter seems to be escalating. This morning, one of the commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission criticized Twitter, and the White House dug in retweeting the president's Minneapolis tweet. Now, yesterday, the president used his executive powers to crack down …

Trump’s new executive order is as phony as his Twitter feed (Opinion)
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump’s new executive order is as phony as his Twitter feed (Opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Paul Callan is a CNN legal analyst, a former New York homicide prosecutor and of counsel to the New York law firm of Edelman & Edelman PC, focusing on wrongful conviction and civil rights cases. Mr. Trump was issuing an executive order which could restrain freedom of speech under the First Amendment because Twitter flagged two of his …

Trump escalates Twitter, social media war after fact-check move
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump escalates Twitter, social media war after fact-check move

Al Jazeera  

The move appears to be more about politics than substance, Trump critics warned. “What I think we can say is that we’e going to regulate it,” Trump said before signing it/ Twitter called the order “a reactionary and politicized approach to a landmark law” and said attempts to weaken Section 230 would “threaten the future of online speech.” The order …

US President Donald Trump makes executive order challenging protections for social media companies
4 years, 9 months ago

US President Donald Trump makes executive order challenging protections for social media companies

ABC  

President Donald Trump is escalating his war on social media companies, signing an executive order challenging the liability protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet. Key points: The order proposes modifying a law known as Section 230 It directs executive branch agencies to study whether they can place new rules on social media companies …

Trump escalates war on Twitter, social media protections
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump escalates war on Twitter, social media protections

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump escalated his war on Twitter and other social media companies Thursday, signing an executive order challenging the lawsuit protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet. Trump said the fact checks were “editorial decisions” by Twitter amounting to political activism and that such actions should cost social media companies their …

READ DONALD TRUMP'S FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER ON 'BIAS' ON SOCIAL MEDIA
4 years, 9 months ago

READ DONALD TRUMP'S FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER ON 'BIAS' ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Daily Mail  

PREVENTING ONLINE CENSORSHIP By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. It is the policy of the United States to ensure that, to the maximum extent permissible under the law, this provision is not distorted to provide liability protection for …

Trump executive order to target social media after Twitter fact-checked his false statements
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump executive order to target social media after Twitter fact-checked his false statements

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald …

Twitter fact-checks Trump; he threatens new regs or shutdown
4 years, 9 months ago

Twitter fact-checks Trump; he threatens new regs or shutdown

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, the historically prolific tweeter of political barbs and blasts, threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering on Wednesday after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets. Under the tweets, there is now a link reading “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” that guides users to a Twitter “moments” page with …

Trump versus Twitter: How the President's social media clampdown could change the internet
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump versus Twitter: How the President's social media clampdown could change the internet

The Telegraph  

It has since helped social media firms escape legal judgment for a wide variety of things. Supporters of Section 230, including social media companies, argue that it actually enables the constitutional American right to free speech, because it means that technology companies can host legally dicey content without the fear of being held responsible. Jon Berroya, head of the Internet …

Trump says right-wing voices are being censored. The data says something else
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump says right-wing voices are being censored. The data says something else

CNN  

New York CNN Business — President Donald Trump has angrily complained this week about social media companies, repeatedly accusing them of censoring conservative voices and going as far as to sign an executive order Thursday seeking to limit their power. Over the last month, the top performing news organization in the US was Fox News, a conservative network which largely …

Trump’s dangerous move against Twitter (opinion)
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump’s dangerous move against Twitter (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Kara Alaimo, an associate professor of public relations at Hofstra University, is the author of “Pitch, Tweet, or Engage on the Street: How to Practice Global Public Relations and Strategic Communication.” She was spokeswoman for international affairs in the Treasury Department during the Obama administration. CNN — President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that seeks to …

Trump signs executive order threatening free speech rights online
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump signs executive order threatening free speech rights online

Salon  

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order retaliating against tech giants after Twitter appended a fact-check to one of his tweets. The Communications Decency Act was initially criticized for violating free speech rights, but after the Supreme Court struck down the sections of that law which were deemed to violate the First Amendment, Section 230 effectively became a tool …

Trump threatens Twitter over fact checks: What’s next?
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump threatens Twitter over fact checks: What’s next?

Associated Press  

OAKLAND, Calif. — Twitter has taken the unprecedented step of adding fact-check warnings to two of President Donald Trump’s tweets that falsely called mail-in ballots “substantially fraudulent” and predicted a “Rigged Election.” On Wednesday, the president threatened to impose new regulation on social media companies or even to “close them down.” But Twitter’s move and Trump’s reaction raise a host …

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact-checks him
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact-checks him

Al Jazeera  

Trump can’t unilaterally regulate or close social media companies, which would require action by the US Congress or FCC. United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering a day after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets. — Donald J. Trump May 27, 2020 Trump and his campaign angrily …

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact checks him
4 years, 9 months ago

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact checks him

LA Times  

President Trump threatened to regulate or shutter social media companies — a warning apparently aimed at Twitter after it began fact checking his tweets. In a pair of tweets Wednesday morning, Trump accused social media sites of trying to silence conservative voices and need to change course or face action. In a second tweet, he added: “Just like we can’t …

Donald Trump threatens Twitter after fact-checks on claims about mail-in ballots
4 years, 9 months ago

Donald Trump threatens Twitter after fact-checks on claims about mail-in ballots

ABC  

Donald Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday, White House officials have said, after the US President accused social media platforms of bias and threatened to shut them down. Key points: Donald Trump is claiming social media companies are attempting to "silence conservative voices" This comes after Twitter added a warning phrase to two of …

Trump attacks social media companies after Facebook bans
5 years, 10 months ago

Trump attacks social media companies after Facebook bans

Associated Press  

STERLING, Va. — President Donald Trump criticized social media companies after Facebook banned a number of extremist figures, declaring that he was “monitoring and watching, closely! !” Trump, who tweeted and re-tweeted complaints Friday and Saturday, said he would “monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms.” He has previously asserted that social media companies exhibit bias against …

Trump criticizes Facebook for banning Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos and other far-right agitators
5 years, 10 months ago

Trump criticizes Facebook for banning Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos and other far-right agitators

CNN  

New York CNN — Facebook barred seven users from its services earlier this week, citing its policies against “dangerous individuals and organizations.” Now President Donald Trump is siding with the people who were banned and railing against social media “censorship” – all while using one of his favorite social sites. He said “It’s getting worse and worse for Conservatives on …

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