ADL Calls on Biden and Harris To Create Directive To Tackle Online “Hate” Through Public-Private Partnership

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A high-profile meeting was convened at the White House this week with civil rights leaders and members of the King family. The Anti-Defamation League, supported by well-known civil rights advocates, urged President Biden and VP Harris to create a robust plan targeting online hate, antisemitism, and extremism. The phrase “lethal threat of hate-motivated violence” was highlighted as a crisis needing immediate attention. While the issue of violent hate crimes cannot be minimized, the rush to enact potentially restrictive measures regarding online speech opens a Pandora’s Box of censorship and surveillance that could, paradoxically, undermine the very freedoms civil rights leaders have fought to establish. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt drew a connection between the recent racist shooting in Jacksonville and the landmark civil rights March on Washington, pointing out society’s enduring vulnerabilities. While few question the gravity of violence, the implication that widespread societal censorship and government oversight could serve as viable solutions invites concerns over constitutional rights, something groups such as the ADL appear to ignore when constantly pushing for online censorship. Among the alarming suggestions was the appointment of a high-ranking “czar” focused solely on combating domestic extremism and hatred. This hints at a centralized power structure that might marginalize dissenting views under the umbrella term of “extremism,” a term which history shows can be distressingly malleable in the hands of those in power. Similarly, the recommendation for a Presidential Study Directive to…ADL Calls on Biden and Harris To Create Directive To Tackle Online “Hate” Through Public-Private Partnership