Censorship 2.0: Online Giants to Censor Online News to Combat Misinformation

Remember when liberals used to be the first ones to defend the freedom of speech?

Well, something odd has happened over the last couple years. The same people who started companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, promising the world these platforms were going to be the pinnacle of free speech and expression, have apparently decided that well, they don’t actually like that whole freedom of expression thing after all.

The Ministry of Truth: Even Orwell would have a hard time believing it!

Facebook, Twitter and some 20 so-called “news organizations,” have joined forces to combat news that they don’t like; pretending they are somehow saving the internet from what they are calling online misinformation. But one man’s misinformation is another man’s political opinion, and these tech giants seem to think they should be the ones who decide what is right and what is “misinformation.”

First Draft News, which is backed by the global behemoth Google, announced that 20 news organizations will be part of its partner network that will decide on best practices for online journalism. The companies, all of whom are supposedly in competition with each other, all seem to have one goal in common; they think they should be the ones who decide what is and what isn’t seen online and on social networks.

So who is in this Coalition to kill Free Speech?

The partner network includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, The New York Times, Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, CNN, ABC News of Australia, ProPublica, AFP, The Telegraph, France Info, Breaking News, Le Monde’s Les Decodeurs, International Business Times UK, Eurovision News Exchange and Al Jazeera Media Network.

Other organizations in the network include Amnesty International, European Journalism Centre, American Press Institute, International Fact Checking Network and Duke Reporters’ Lab.”

It seems the internet is far too much freedom for these Orwellian Globalists

What’s happening here is nothing more than a full-fledged propaganda campaign against the freedom-loving people of the world. They are literally trying to shape public opinion.

While some who share the same political ideologies as these companies may believe this is a good thing, you need to ask yourself, do you really want a handful of global corporations deciding what is and isn’t newsworthy? What happens when your beliefs and opinions all of sudden become a threat to their bottom line, will your thoughts and speech then end up in their online speech prisons, deemed too dangerous for the world to read?

This goes so much further than just political opinion.

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where both political parties, along with a number of corporations have come to fear the internet that they claimed to support. We have a handful of companies who wrap themselves in internet freedom, while at the same time trying to kill the spirit which spawned the internet.

Journalism isn’t a collective; we aren’t communist Russia, and no conglomerate of internet/media companies should have the power to decide what is and isn’t news. The great thing about the internet has always been the ability to find new information, new ideas, and express yourself without fear or retribution. Once they take that away, what’s left?

Open Internet in Jeopardy of U.N. Takeover

On October 1^st, the Obama administration is set to give away the United States’ control of the internet; something that these tech giants are pushing for.

Major technology companies including Facebook, Google and Twitter are urging Congress to support a plan for the U.S. government to cede control of the internet’s technical management to the global community.  In the Sept. 13, 2016 letter, a copy of which had been reviewed by Reuters before it was sent, the technology companies said it was “imperative” that Congress does not delay the transition.”

Internet freedom watchdog groups warn that this alone could stifle free speech and kill open commerce, as dictatorial governments from around the world wrestle for control of the open internet.

These companies are creating an internet monopoly, and since Twitter, Facebook and Google now account for the majority of all internet traffic, smaller sites and alternative media are soon going to find it impossible to get their word out to the masses. A small number of liberally run corporations, corporations that should have never even been allowed to have this much power under antitrust laws, now have the power to shape everything you see. We are heading into some interesting times!

So what can you do to fight back?

I wrote an article about this earlier in the year, warning about what I saw coming. For the last couple of years, this site has been routinely censored and even suspended from a number of Social Media sites simply for sharing our opinions. Here is what I suggested then, and still suggest today.

1. Limit, stop using, or take control of how you use these Social Media Ghettos!

Matt Drudge describes these social networks as “Social Media Ghettos,” warning people that these tech giants are swallowing up content and killing organic growth for alternative media websites. There is more than a little bit of truth behind what he is saying. These companies have created a system where it’s almost impossible to go around them, literally swallowing up the Internet into communities they control and regulate.

Out of my 330,000+ followers on Facebook, I’m lucky if Facebook shows my post to 5% of those people. And Twitter has recently started Shadow Banning people, refusing to show controversial posts to even people who choose to follow your account.

While there still may be some value to sharing these types of articles, almost like going behind enemy lines, the fact is it’s getting harder for alternative media to reach the people who want to see their stories.

2. Start your own website or online community.

I’m one guy; if I can do it, so can you.  I started this OFFGRID back in 2007, and I have slowly grown it one day at a time. It’s not easy, and it often takes a lot out of you, but I do believe it’s important.

In the process of doing building the site, I’ve talked to millions of people, written a book that helped expand my reach beyond the internet, and helped a countless number of people become better prepared for the very real threats in today’s society.

So yes, it is worth it!

Even if it’s just a small blog, one that is only read by a handful of people, you have the power to create your own community that isn’t owned by Facebook, Google, Twitter, or any other media conglomerate. You can write about the things that are important to you, and you can share the stories and links that you think are important.

• Don’t just leave comments on Facebook: Comment in the comments section on this and other blogs. This will help move the conversation off these social media sites, and back into arenas where we control the content.
• If you don’t want to start your own page, shoot me an email through my contact page if you want to write for OFFGRID Survival or one of my other sites that I’m currently trying to get off the ground.

3. Download and use an RSS Reader

While not many people still use RSS Readers — Facebook essentially killed them — there isn’t a better way to collect the news you want to see. Instead of relying on Google or Facebook to tell you what’s important, download an RSS reader and subscribe to sites like this and other independent media sources. With an RSS Reader, you choose what you see, when you see it, and how much of it you see.

4. Sign up for our Newsletter: I don’t send them often, but when I do you can be sure that you are getting our articles straight from the source.