Leftist Senators are not deterred by last year’s American rejection of the Biden administration’s Orwellian governance board for disinformation. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Peter Welch, (D-Vt.), are attempting to create a federal agency that will regulate online speech and behavior.
How is it pitched?
On May 18, the Democratic Senators introduced a revised version of Bennet’s “Digital Platform Commission Act”, which would expand the state, interfere further with Americans’ online interactions, regulate speech and police digital platforms.
Bennet stated in a press release that “we should follow the long-standing precedent in American History of empowering an expert group to protect the public’s interest through common sense regulations and oversight of complex and powerful sectors in the economy.”
The Colorado leftist compared the proposed Federal Digital Platform Commission with the existing Food and Drug Administration and Federal Communications Commission as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Nancy Watzman is a Colorado Media Project advisor. She suggested that this latest state-sponsored initiative could be a solution to unwanted speech online.
Scott Babwah Brennen is the head of the Center on Technology Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Center on Technology Policy. He oversees online expression policy.
Welch added, “It is time to create an independent agency that will provide comprehensive oversight to social media companies.”
What is the bill saying?
Bennet listed some of the digital issues he believes unelected technocrats of tomorrow could fix, such as “the collapse” of local journalism; “damage to the mental well-being of Americans”; “disinformation” and “hate speech”; and “digital platforms radicalizing individuals to violent acts.”
The bill states that in order to address these alleged problems, it is necessary that the FDPC be “equipped with authorities, tools and expertise to govern digital platforms so as to ensure, where appropriate, their operations are consistent with the public’s interest.”
The FDPC will consist of five commissioners. They are all appointed by Joe Biden, and confirmed by the Democrat majority in the U.S. Senate. Each commissioner would be given a five-year mandate or could hold onto power until a successor was confirmed.
The hypothetical FDPC will establish a “Code Council,” which in turn would develop “proposed voluntary or enforceable behavior codes, technical standards or other policies” for social media platforms and other digital platforms.
The 18-member council would include “disinformation experts”.
Uncertain is whether these councilmen of disinformation would crack down on communications that are not in the best interest of the state, or on actual false statements as well – such as Sen. Bennet suggesting on Twitter on 2019 that Jussie smollett had been the victim a “despicable” attack. The Colorado Democrat then linked homophobia and racism to this claim.
The commission will also have the authority to impose regulations on digital platforms it has deemed “systemically significant.”
If, for example, the commissars appointed by Biden are not happy with how Elon is running Twitter, they may decide that it is “systemically significant,” designate it accordingly, and then impose whatever rules can be imposed.
Twitter, Meta, and other large platforms would all meet the criteria required in the bill.
The FDPC will have the ability to not only investigate the management of digital platforms, but also to obtain from companies and “persons directly or indirectly controlled or controlled by or under direct or indirect controls with those platforms, full and complete information needed, including data flow.”
The commission appears to be working in tandem with other state coercive forces when it comes to imposing or curing “democratic values” that are not defined online.
The commission, in addition to a host of new regulators funded by taxpayers, “may recruit and provide training to volunteers to assist in monitoring violations of this Act or Regulation.”
Harmeet Dhillon is a former Republican National Committeewoman and lawyer who tweeted: “This is unconstitutional. It’s also evil and stupid.” She added, “How stupid must you be in America to introduce legislation which violates the Constitution?”
