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US NEWS Diamars 20 Juli 2021

Biden: ‘Killing people’ remark was call for big tech to act

(AP) — President Joe thing about the misinforma- tion going to your son, your
Biden tempered his as- tion,” Biden said. daughter, your relative.”
sessment that social media
giants are “killing people” Biden’s comments come as In the view of the administra-
by hosting misinforma- the White House has strug- tion, chastising the social me-
tion about the COVID-19 gled to counteract resistance dia companies — who have
vaccines on their plat- to getting a shot, particularly come under mounting scru-
forms, saying Monday that among younger and more tiny in Washington over not
he hoped they would not Republican demographics. just disinformation, but also
take it “personally” and Fewer than 400,000 Ameri- antitrust and privacy prac-
instead would act to save cans are getting their first tices — is a proxy for criti-
lives. vaccine dose each day — cizing the originators of dis-
down from a high of more information themselves. To
While companies like Face- than 2 million per day in avoid amplifying falsehoods,
book defend their practic- April. More than 90 million the White House has gener-
es and say they’re helping eligible people have not re- ally sought to avoid engaging
people around the world ceived a dose. directly with those spreading
access verified information misinformation.
about the shots, the White The administration has in- encourage the spread of mis- goal was missed.”
House says they haven’t done creasingly seized on false Last week, U.S. Surgeon information.
enough to stop misinforma- or misleading information General Vivek Murthy de- White House press secretary
tion that has helped slow the about the safety and efficacy clared misinformation about “We are asking them to step Jen Psaki insisted Monday:
pace of new vaccinations in of the vaccines as a driver of the vaccines a deadly threat up,” Murthy said. “We can’t “We’re not in a war or battle
the U.S. to a trickle. It comes that hesitance. It has refer- to public health. wait longer for them to take against Facebook — we’re
as the U.S. sees a rise in virus enced a study by the Center aggressive action.” in a battle with the virus.”
cases and deaths among those for Countering Digital Hate, “Misinformation poses an But she ramped up pressure
who haven’t gotten a shot, in a nonprofit that studies ex- imminent and insidious Facebook on Friday respond- on the companies to share
what officials call an emerg- tremism, that linked a dozen threat to our nation’s health,” ed to Biden’s attack, with information on how many
ing “pandemic of the unvac- accounts to spreading the Murthy said during re- spokesperson Kevin McAli- Americans are exposed to
cinated.” majority of vaccine disinfor- marks Thursday at the White ster saying, “The facts show misinformation on their plat-
mation on Facebook. House. “We must confront that Facebook is helping save forms and how their secretive
Speaking at the White House, misinformation as a nation. lives. Period.” and powerful algorithms pro-
Biden insisted he meant “pre- “Facebook isn’t killing peo- Lives are depending on it.” mote false content to users.
cisely what I said” when he ple. These 12 people are out The company also released
said Friday of the tech giants there giving misinformation, Murthy said technology a blog post saying its inter- “Do you have access to infor-
that “they’re killing people.” anyone listening to it is get- companies and social media nal research showed it was mation from these platforms
But he said the point of his ting hurt by it, it’s killing platforms must make mean- not responsible for Biden’s as to who is receiving mis-
rhetoric was to ramp up pres- people,” Biden said. “It’s bad ingful changes to their prod- missed vaccination goal. information?” she asked. “I
sure on the companies to take information.” ucts and software to reduce “The data shows that 85% don’t think that information
action. the spread of false informa- of Facebook users in the US has been released. Do you
“I’m not trying to hold peo- tion while increasing access have been or want to be vac- know how the algorithms are
“My hope is that Facebook, ple accountable. I’m trying to to authoritative, fact-based cinated against COVID-19. working at any of these plat-
instead of taking it person- make people look at them- sources. President Biden’s goal was forms? I don’t think that in-
ally that somehow I’m saying selves, look in the mirror,” for 70% of Americans to be formation has been released.”
‘Facebook is killing people,’ Biden said, adding, “Think Too often, he said, the plat- vaccinated by July 4. Face-
that they would do some- about that misinforma- forms are built in ways that book is not the reason this
Capitol rioter who breached Senate gets 8 months for felony

(AP) - A Florida man who a crowd of hundreds into the
breached the U.S. Sen- “That was not, by any stretch Capitol.
ate chamber carrying a of the imagination, a pro-
Trump campaign flag test,” Moss said. “It was … He pleaded guilty last month
was sentenced Monday an assault on democracy.” He to obstructing an official pro-
to eight months behind added: “It left a stain that will ceeding by participating in an
bars, the first punishment remain on us … on the coun- attack that forced lawmakers
handed down for a felony try for years to come.” to run and hide in fear. Five
charge in the Jan. 6 Capi- people died, including a po-
tol riot and one that could Moss acknowledged Hodg- lice officer and rioter shot by
help determine the sever- kins’ sentence could set a police. Two other police offi-
ity of other sentences in benchmark for future cases. cers who faced Jan. 6 rioters
hundreds of pending cas- And deciding an appropri- died by suicide days later.
es. ate punishment was made
more challenging because the Under the June plea deal,
In pronouncing the sentence case is unique and the court Moss interrupted Hodgkins’ cause he didn’t assault any- Hodgkins agreed to plead
on Paul Allard Hodgkins, couldn’t look to previous attorney, Patrick Leduc, to one, didn’t damage govern- guilty to the one count and
U.S. District Judge Ran- sentencings as a guide. ask if granting the defense ment property and wasn’t pay $2,000 in restitution to
dolph Moss said the 38-year- request to spare Hodgkins among the lead attackers. the Treasury Department.
old had played a role, if not More than 500 people have from prison could encour- In exchange, prosecutors
as significant as others, in been charged so far for age others disgruntled by the Hodgkins apologized to agreed to drop less serious
one of the worst episodes in their participation in the at- results of a future election to the court and said he felt charges, including entering a
American history. Thousands tack, and many like Hodg- besiege the Capitol. ashamed. Speaking calmly restricted building and disor-
of rioters loyal to then-Presi- kins were accused of serious from a prepared text, he de- derly conduct. They also said
dent Donald Trump stormed crimes but were not indicted, But he said Hodgkins de- scribed being caught up in they would ask for a reduced
the Capitol and disrupted the as some others were, for roles served a lesser sentence than the euphoria as he walked sentence for acceptance of
certification of Joe Biden’s in larger conspiracies. They the 18 months prosecutors down Washington’s most fa- responsibility and for saving
election win, in a stunning will have to decide whether had requested, in part be- mous avenue, then followed the government from a costly
display of public violence. to plead guilty or go to trial. trial.