July 29, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 134 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Pages H3888-H3889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CENSORING BY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

  (Mr. SPANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring attention to an 
alarming trend: the censorship of Americans by American companies, 
particularly those in the social media sector.
  Over and over, we hear about social media platforms silencing 
conservatives and their views, only to turn around and ask this 
Congress for continued liability protections.
  If social media companies expect such legal protection, they must 
recognize the fundamental free speech of their users. To be clear, I am 
not referring to hate speech or calls for violence. I am referring to 
political views that differ from those who own and manage these 
companies.
  As this Congress considers and debates the regulation of these 
companies into the 21st century, we should take this political 
censorship into account. No American, no matter what their affiliation 
or opinions, should ever be prevented from lawfully exercising their 
constitutional rights, whether online or in person.
  Social media, for sure, has done wonders to connect people, but it 
has also

[[Page H3889]]

been used as a tool to further a specific political agenda, all the 
while expecting Government's protection, and that must end.

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