Wednesday, June 17, 2020

A vast left-wing conspiracy suppressing conservative voices includes Google, NBC and a shadowy foreign group - Thomas Lifson

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by Thomas Lifson

It is difficult to overstate the threat to the free exchange of information


Remember when the progressive media feigned concern over foreign influence on our elections? Now, just months before a critical election, they are conspiring with foreign groups to destroy conservative publications, with the assistance of Google, the most powerful information provider in the history of the world.
This tweet from the head of the foreign group shows the mentality at work:



It is difficult to overstate the threat to the free exchange of information that is the prerequisite for a functioning 21st century democracy when a foreign group feeds talking points to NBC News (owned by Comcast, the largest provider of cable television and internet in the country), which then takes them to Google, who then threatens to destroy prominent conservative websites by cutting off advertising to them. Google is said to control as much as 70% of all online advertising by using its vast data resources to help advertisers target likely consumers. This means that it could cut off 70% of the ad revenue for any site whose voice it wants to suppress.
A number of conservative outlets and only a few MSM outlets (NOT including the New York Times) have covered the scandal so far. Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News provides a good background:
NBC News is facing intense backlash for apparently influencing Google to punish two conservative news sites over what was deemed offensive coverage of the George Floyd protests.
In a report published Tuesday afternoon, NBC News claimed Google "banned" The Federalist and ZeroHedge from Google Ads for "pushing unsubstantiated claims" about the Black Lives Matter movement. Google later pushed back, claiming that The Federalist "was never demonetized," and adding, "We worked with them to address issues on their site related to the comments section."
"We have strict publisher policies that govern the content ads can run on and explicitly prohibit derogatory content that promotes hatred, intolerance, violence or discrimination based on race from monetizing," a Google spokesperson initially told NBC News. NBC, however, did not link to the "derogatory content" from The Federalist or ZeroHedge.In addition, it appeared it was NBC News' inquiry into the matter that prompted Google's actions in the first place.
According to Federalist officials, Google demanded that the comments section be removed, or else it would be demonetized. For now, The Federalist has complied, but contends comments will be restored. Zero Hedge apparently remains demonetized. And the comments section of YouTube (owned by Google) Continues to be a sewer of vile commentary.
So far, outrage largely is limited to conservatives, with liberals apparently content to silence rater than debate conservative voices. The ACLU which once upon a time defended free speech is now fully committed to the left and needs to drop “Civil Liberties” from its name.
Senator Ted Cruz is appalled:
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Google's recent actions involving The Federalist, a conservative publication, raises serious concerns that the tech giant is abusing its power to censor political speech it disagrees with.
Cruz plans to send Google CEO Sundar Pichai a letter on Wednesday and called its alleged action part of a bigger problem involving the culture of free speech being attack in the U.S, adding that the company was helping to lead that charge.
Cruz wrote that Americans at one time understood the best response to free speech, "was more free speech." He claimed that some Americans, with the assistance of powerful companies, are now pressing to silence and punish people who express their views that don't "align with the prevailing and ever-shifting progressive orthodoxy."
"These individuals demand that people with different views lose their livelihoods if they step out of line." he wrote. "Companies like Google must -- to use a most Orwellian term -- 'demonetize' them."
He added: "As evidence by its actions yesterday, Google seems more than happy to play this censorship role by trying to break the financial back of a media publication it disagrees with."
Senator Josh Hawley, who has long criticized the special legislation that exempts Google and other tech giants from responsibility for content posted on their sites (because they are supposed to be open forums) says he will sponsor legislation to remove this protection:



But of course, this will go nowhere in Nancy Pelosi’s House.

Rep. Jim Jordan, another conservative champion, hopefully proclaims this a turning point:


I wish that I could be so optimistic.

Tucker Carlson, who has become the most important journalist in America with his coverage of the ongoing threat to democracy, had a terrific segment last night on the situation:



As a pessimistic friend often emails at the end of articles relating to the ongoing collapse of free expression, “Darkness looms.”

Image credit: Courtesy Simon Steinberger, Released into the public domain via Pixabay


Thomas Lifson

Source: https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/06/a_vast_leftwing_conspiracy_suppressing_conservative_voices_includes_google_nbc_and_a_shadowy_foreign_group.html

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