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Big Tech remains steadfast in its heavy-handed approach to the 2020 presidential election, despite growing concerns about outright censorship.
Declaring themselves arbiters of the truth, the latest example of this tactic is seen in response to a New York Post story about a purported “smoking gun” email from Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, that shows he introduced his father, who was the sitting vice president at the time, to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm.
The 2015 email indicates that Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi thanked Hunter for “giving an opportunity” to meet his father, which contradicts the Democratic nominee saying previously that he has “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.”
Andy Stone, policy communications manager at Facebook, said in a tweet that the Post story was “eligible to be fact checked by Facebook’s third-party fact checking partners,” and that they would be “reducing its distribution on our platform.”
He said in a follow up tweet “this is part of our standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.”
While I will intentionally not link to the New York Post, I want be clear that this story is eligible to be fact checked by Facebook’s third-party fact checking partners. In the meantime, we are reducing its distribution on our platform.
— Andy Stone (@andymstone) October 14, 2020
Daily Caller’s Greg Price responded to the announcement to point out that the media runs wild with stories denigrating President Trump that are based on nothing more than anonymous sources and they see little interference from Big Tech.
He cited the far-reaching story about the president allegedly calling members of the military “losers” as a recent example, before asking how Facebook’s actions are not “election interference.”
“Four anonymous sources say that President Trump called military members losers and that’s totally fine.” Price tweeted. “Leaked emails showing that Biden met with adviser to the Burisma board and FB reduces its distribution. How is this not election interference from Facebook?”
Four anonymous sources say that President Trump called military members losers and that’s totally fine.
Leaked emails showing that Biden met with adviser to the Burisma board and FB reduces its distribution.
How is this not election interference from Facebook? https://t.co/fNTyCm4I9t
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 14, 2020
In the event you haven’t already assumed as much, Stone is a “lifelong Democrat,” according to Price.
Lifelong Democratic staffer, now comms person at Facebook, boasting about limiting the distribution of a story unflattering to a Democrat.
What do you even do to fact check a story like this? pic.twitter.com/BBrmoK99zO
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 14, 2020
In responding to a social media inquiry about confirming the Hunter Biden story, Price shared the leaked email:
Here’s the leaked email pic.twitter.com/j7zN5QRipg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 14, 2020
Moment CEO Tim Kendall is a former Facebook executive and he believes Big Tech is a threat to democracy that could eventually lead to a civil war in America, according to Fox News.
“Extreme outcomes are the logical end conclusion if there is no action on social media reform during the increasing destabilization of civil society,” Kendall told the network.
Kendall named three things that need to change when it comes to social media.
“First, until the financial incentives are removed these companies will continue to operate by creating social media addicts of its users,” he said. “Second, we need better regulation — no industry, including tech, should be in the position to regulate themselves. Third, we need innovation to help people take back their lives from their devices.”
Of the many responses to the story, the following tweet reminded Facebook that they are inching closer to establishing themselves as a publisher, instead of a neutral platform that does not have traditional journalistic responsibilities.
Congratulations, @andymstone! Pursuant to the rules of the Communications Decency Act Section 230, you have just singlehandedly turned Facebook from a platform to a publisher.
— Sean K Thompson (@sean_k_thompson) October 14, 2020
Ironically, the company has argued in court that they are a publisher that makes editorial decisions, which are protected by the first amendment.
Here’s a sampling of other responses from Twitter:
The tech platforms have clearly stated, publicly and in leaked recordings, that they will do everything they can to ‘correct’ 2016. People should take them at their word.
— Abacus Bean (@BeanAbacus) October 14, 2020
It is, pretty straightforward election interference.
— mzpinca (@mikhail1973) October 14, 2020
It is election interference and meddling to be sure.
— Morpheus (@welcome2matrix) October 14, 2020
My first thought too. They never limit anonymously sources stories for “fact checking”
— Random Stranger (@crystlgib) October 14, 2020
— Reclaming my Sanity😷=🤐 (@juneoftroy) October 14, 2020
— D_Wallin (@d_wallin4) October 14, 2020
As expected. Cover up for wayward Dems is a US media tradition.
— KayBDay (@IndieArtSouth) October 14, 2020
As this is clearly damning for Joe Biden, this is potentially election manipulation by @Facebook.
“I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings”
– Joe Bidenpic.twitter.com/Tq5wn8uf5a
— SV News🚨 (@SVNewsAlerts) October 14, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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