A disturbing survey conducted by Pew Research shows that the number of Americans who favor limitations on freedom of speech in the name of “limiting the spread of disinformation” has risen by nearly 10 percent since 2018.
At present, a whopping 48 percent of Americans think that the government should limit the spread of “false information” online — even if it means cracking down on free expression. Not surprisingly, a closer look at the polling information shows that liberal Democrat voters are the ones leading the charge. Republican voters are less likely to support limitations to First Amendment rights than they were two years ago.
According to Pew Research, a whopping 65 percent of Democrats and voters who lean Democrat think the federal government should censor the internet. Over three-quarters of liberal voters think tech companies should limit free speech online in order to halt the spread of “misinformation.”
History makes it clear that people of all political affiliations should be highly alarmed when a government restricts free speech. Even recent history clearly shows that what is characterized as “misinformation” at one point in time could very well be proven correct later on.
For instance, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many pointed out the virus could very well have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Social media platforms censored their comments, but the commenters were proven right when even Dr. Fauci admitted that COVID-19 may have originated at WIV. Even so, the about-face didn’t stop Democrat Sen. Chris Coons from begging Twitter to censor people who dare to contradict the official narrative surrounding “climate change.”
Allowing a government or a few big tech companies to define what constitutes “false information” is dangerous. These companies are run by individuals with an agenda to promote, and so will almost certainly make potentially tyrannical mistakes. Eroding First Amendment rights is a slippery slope if there ever was one.
Stripping freedom of speech from online pundits is just the start. Cancel culture is already coming after book authors. Conservative students are often silenced at schools and on university campuses, and other venues will almost certainly follow.
Remember, what constitutes “forbidden speech” will also change with the times. Today, it may be “misinformation” about COVID-19. In the near future, it could be “forbidden” comments and opinions about religion, sexuality, or politics. Then again, this might be the entire point.
