(CNS News) – In reference to the Biden administration working with Facebook to suppress postings it considers “vaccine misinformation,” Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that if Facebook is working with the government, then “the First Amendment does apply, which guarantees the freedom of speech,” and this presents a “very dangerous, slippery slope.”
At the U.S. Capitol on July 20th, CNS News asked the senator, “Should the Biden administration be able to work with Facebook to suppress posts they consider being misinformation about the COVID vaccine?”
Sen. Cornyn said, “I think that it’s very dangerous because they, basically Facebook as private company is not subject to the First Amendment, but obviously if they are working in collaboration with the government then I think the First Amendment does apply, which guarantees the freedom of speech. And, so it’s a very, I think it’s a very dangerous, slippery slope.”
On July 16, the Biden administration admitted that it is working with Facebook to suppress certain posts on the social media platform that contain alleged “vaccine misinformation.”
When asked about the posts, Biden said, “They’re killing people. … The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and they’re killing people.”
Also on July 16, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is “in regular touch with these social media platforms, and those engagements typically happen through members of our senior staff, but also members of our COVID-19 team, given, as [U.S. Surgeon General] Dr. Murthy conveyed, this is a big issue of misinformation, specifically on the pandemic.”
“We’ve increased disinformation research and tracking within the Surgeon General’s office,” said Psaki. “We’re flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.”
“You shouldn’t be banned from one platform and not others, uh – if you – for providing misinformation out there,” she said.
Psaki then explained four suggestions the White House has given to Facebook and commented, “We engage with them regularly and they certainly know what our asks are.”
However, Psaki told CNS News during her press conference on July 19 that the White House has “not asked Facebook to block any individual posts,” but the Biden administration “certainly raised where we have concerns about information that’s inaccurate that is traveling out there in whatever platform it’s traveling on.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) commented to Psaki on Twitter, “Her statement makes it abundantly clear they want people banned for simply disagreeing with the government’s pre-approved narrative.”
Transcript
CNSNews.com: “Should the Biden administration be able to work with Facebook to suppress posts they consider being misinformation about the COVID vaccine?”
Sen. Cornyn: “I think that it’s very dangerous because they, basically Facebook as private company is not subject to the First Amendment, but obviously if they are working in collaboration with the government, then I think the First Amendment does apply, which guarantees the freedom of speech. And so it’s a very, I think it’s a very dangerous, slippery slope.”
CNSNews.com: “All right, thank you so much.”