The insurrection that erupted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, illuminated the deep-rooted political and ideological divisions faced by Americans. However, in the midst of this division, we saw a sense of unity, as many tech companies and social media platforms came together and banned former President Donald Trump from using their technology. Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, and Apple are just a few among the large list of companies that incited the “Trump ban.” But, naturally, nothing lasts forever. The tech-oriented unity was disrupted by turbulent debates surrounding the question: is it fair to silence political speech when it comes from the President of the United States?
The bigger question is: was Trump’s free speech truly silenced? Big Tech companies are private companies after all and have no obligation to serve those who violate their terms of service. This ability alone gives technology corporations the liberty to regulate their platforms however they see fit. Regardless, Trump still had many avenues through which he could communicate information (after all, he was the President). So then, why are tech companies being ridiculed by mainly far-right political groups? The answer seems to lie much deeper than what transpired due to the insurrection.
In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, both left and right political groups took to technology platforms to disseminate false information regarding the election. After receiving backlash for promoting the spread of misinformation, social media platforms took responsibility for their actions and began “flagging” specific posts with warnings of misinformation. It wasn’t surprising to see that the majority of flagged posts belonged to conservative and far-right groups; this may be attributed to the fact that most tech companies range from heavily left-leaning to moderate. Despite this, the excessive flagging of far-right conservatives posts was not a coincidence, but an effect of increased misinformation from individuals over 65 and “ultra conservatives.” Due to their higher tendency to spread false data, an increased number of conservative posts were flagged.
Tech companies have been on blast for extreme censorship and violating First Amendment rights when in reality, their only crime is censorship of misinformation and violence. As a skeptic, I can’t say Big Tech has no ulterior motives, but the essence of the “Trump ban” shows their commitment to valuing the safety of the American people. However, I fear for the future of Big Tech and its large presence in politically volatile climates. Personally, I applaud them for the drastic (and quite dramatic) measures they took. But, the problem lies in precedent.
I’ve never seen the word precedent used so frequently in the news. Don’t get me wrong, I love precedents in technology; setting ground rules for the future is one of the most important responsibilities of Big Tech companies. But in this scenario, I fear the implications of this precedent tech companies have set by banning Trump for his incitement of violence, and more importantly, I wonder what will happen if and when tech companies fail to follow this precedent.
Like I’ve said, it’s no secret that tech companies are largely left-leaning. And so, it is my hope that given a similar situation where the left incites events that negatively impact the safety of Americans, tech companies will follow suit and take action. Hypocrisy has already intertwined itself into American politics; here’s to hoping it stays out of tech.
Technically Speaking is an Opinion culture column used to discuss topics relating to technology, such as pop culture, trends, social media, or other relevant subject matter.
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