Page 24 - aruba-today-20190712

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Friday 12 July 2019

Trump accuses big tech of bias against conservative voices

platforms “are the best tool
for promoting voices from
all political perspectives in
history.”
“Internet companies are
not biased against any po-
litical ideology, and conser-
vative voices in particular
have used social media to
great effect,” the group’s
president Michael Becker-
man said in a statement
Thursday. “Internet com-
panies depend upon their
users’ trust from across the
political spectrum to grow
and succeed.”
Facebook has banned ex-
tremist figures such as Alex
Jones of Infowars and Louis
Farrakhan of the Nation of
Islam. Twitter has banned
hate speech on the basis
of someone’s race, gender
and other categories. Twit-
ter broadened its policy
this week to include ban-
ning language that dehu-
President Donald Trump speaks during the “Presidential Social Media Summit” in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July manizes others based on
11, 2019, in Washington. Associated Press religion, and the company
Associated Press said it may also ban similar
By KEVIN FREKING and U.S. regulators should sue companies,” the press and abortion foes and censor- language aimed at other
MARCY GORDON them on grounds of anti- his Democratic rivals — that ship of conservative politi- groups, such as those de-
Associated Press conservative bias. have proven resonance cal views. fined by gender, race and
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- In remarks to the partici- with his political base. The Trump has made it a priority sexual orientation.
dent Donald Trump said pants, whom Trump called president predicted, with- to reach out to voters who “I’ve never seen evidence
Thursday that big tech “online journalists and in- out foundation, the demise oppose abortion. The anti- of tech firm bias against
companies must not be al- fluencers,” Trump said, of the press and the social abortion groups Live Ac- conservatives,” said Rep.
lowed to censor the voices “You’re challenging the media platforms if he loses tion and Susan B. Anthony David Cicilline, D-R.I., who
of the American people on media gatekeepers and to a Democrat in 2020. He List say Twitter has blocked has been sharply critical of
social media, even as he corporate censors to bring hailed himself as “so great their advertising. By policy, the big companies for rea-
hailed conservative critics the truth to the American looking and smart, a true Twitter prohibits paid ads sons of their market domi-
for using the platforms to people.” Stable Genius!” with content “that is inflam- nance and effect on com-
get around the “fake news “You communicate direct- A “big subject” of the sum- matory or provocative and petition. He leads a House
filter.” ly with our citizens without mit would be “the tremen- is likely to evoke a strong Judiciary subcommittee
Trump has weaponized so- going through the fake dous dishonesty, bias, dis- negative reaction.” that has opened a biparti-
cial media to eviscerate news filter,” he said. crimination and suppres- Donald Trump Jr. weighed san probe into the tech gi-
opponents and promote Trump signaled tough ac- sion practiced by certain in on the subject Wednes- ants’ market conduct.
himself. He convened tions ahead by his admin- companies,” Trump said in day, tweeting, “Twitter: We “If someone wants to show
Thursday’s White House “so- istration against big tech his tweets. won’t allow pro-life groups me some empirical data,
cial media summit” of like- companies. “We will not let them get like @LiveAction to run ads instead of some alt-right
minded critics of Big Tech, The firms already are under away with it much longer,” on our ‘platform’ & if you’re member’s paranoid claims,
excluding representatives closer scrutiny than ever he said. a conservative we might I’d appreciate it,” Cicil-
from the very platforms he by regulators and in Con- Among the conservative ban you for 1st Amend- line said in a statement
exploits. gress following a stream of organizations expected ment protected speech Wednesday.
Earlier Thursday, Trump sent scandals including Face- to participate in the White that we arbitrarily deem Trump has an estimated 61
a stream of Twitter mes- book’s lapses opening the House meeting are Turn- ‘offensive.’” million followers on Twitter
sages lashing out at social personal data of millions of ing Point USA, a nonprofit; While some Silicon Valley and uses the platform al-
media companies and the users to Trump’s 2016 cam- PragerU, short for Prager company executives may most daily to speak directly
press, familiar targets that paign, and a bipartisan University, which puts out lean liberal, they have as- to his followers. He has a
resonate with his conserva- push for new data privacy short videos with a conser- serted that their products knack for tweeting outra-
tive base. legislation has emerged in vative perspective on poli- are without political bias. geous, divisive or tongue-
The meeting represented Congress. Regulators at the tics and economics; the Representatives for Face- in-cheek missives that spur
an escalation of Trump’s Justice Department and Media Research Center; book, Google and Twitter frenzied reactions from the
battle with companies like the Federal Trade Commis- and the Heritage Founda- have declined to com- mainstream press.
Facebook, Google and sion are pursuing antitrust tion, a Washington think ment specifically on the At the same time, Trump
even his preferred com- investigations of Facebook, tank. White House meeting. The has accused Twitter, with-
munications outlet, Twitter. Google, Apple and Ama- Accusations commonly Internet Association, the in- out evidence, of making
The president has claimed, zon. leveled by conservatives dustry’s major trade group it “very hard for people to
without evidence, that the Trump’s volley of Twitter against the social media representing Facebook, join me” and “very much
companies are “against messages Thursday had platforms include anti- Google and dozens of oth- harder for me to get out
me” and even suggested familiar targets — “certain religious bias, a tilt against er companies, said online the message.”q