As we consider whether it is appropriate for the government to flag misinformation for social media companies to censor/etc., this is an important thread from Glenn Greenwald (you have to click through to Twitter):
If you trust the Biden WH to decree what is "misinformation," these claims have been deemed as such:
* COVID is transmitted human-to-human (Jan 2020)
* You should wear masks to protect against COVID (March 2020)
* It's possible COVID leaked from the Wuhan lab (all of 2020).
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 17, 2021
Although I am not a fan of some of the commentary in it, this article brings all (most?) of the thread together.
This is an especially important point for people who say the First Amendment only applies to the government, not to private companies. That is true, but…
Welcome to day 3 of the @ACLU's utter silence about the fact that the White House is openly boasting about their attempts to coerce social media companies — which they can destroy through regulatory enforcement — to ban people and content the WH unilaterally deems dangerous.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 17, 2021
If it is done under government pressure (even if the private businesses agree), then it is unconstitutional.
And, in the modern age, there is no reason to trust the government, Big Tech social media, nor the media with the power to censor. (Greenwald’s thread speaks to this too.)