Don’t Give Congress The Power To Censor The Internet — And Don’t Trust Social Media To Do It For Them

Caitlin Vogus is the Deputy Director of Advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation. United States Senate website. Shutterstock Some members of Congress have recently been loudly decrying what they see as government interference with online content moderation. Yet at the same time, some are now embracing a new proposal that would allow straight-up government censorship of the internet, at least when it benefits lawmakers’ own interests. Senate Amendment 218 to the National Defense Authorization Act would turn social media and other online services into flunkies for federal lawmakers to scrub the internet of information about themselves. Amendment 218 makes it illegal to post or host information about lawmakers, their relatives and others on the internet if a member of Congress has demanded removal of that information. Not only is Amendment 218 unconstitutional and opposed by a broad coalition of civil society organizations, it also foolishly trusts social media companies to moderate content well and to act in the best interests of users and the public. If passed, this proposal will make investigative journalism harder and lead to the removal of news and other important speech about lawmakers from the internet. Protecting lawmakers from actual threats to their safety is important, but giving Congress the power to censor the internet isn’t the right approach. Congress should not bundle legislation prioritizing its own privacy over the public interest into the must-pass defense bill.  Here’s how the law would work: A lawmaker, their family member, or even anyone just living in the…Don’t Give Congress The Power To Censor The Internet — And Don’t Trust Social Media To Do It For Them