Christina Herrin writes at Townhall.com about the ills associated with censorship by social media giants.
One of the many great things about being an American is that we have the right to freedom of speech. I may not agree with what my neighbor has to say, but I will fight to the death for his or her ability to say it. This concept was a founding principle that is now in jeopardy because of the monopoly power wielded by social media giants.
An example of this disturbing trend occurred this week when a video from several frontline doctors who questioned the status quo position on COVID-19 treatments and protocols was summarily scrubbed from most top internet and social media sites.
After going “viral,” the video was immediately taken down by Twitter, YouTube, and several other prominent platforms. Unfortunately, many Americans missed the opportunity to watch the video before it was removed.
The reason for removal stems from the concern that the content contained in the video was misinformation about hydroxychloroquine (an extremely politicized drug used to treat COVID-19) and other information about the virus.
It would have been great to have been able to discuss the content of the video within this opinion editorial, but unfortunately, the video was censored by Big Tech so rapidly that even I have not been able to watch the entire video.
With that being said, this type of “cancel culture” creates an environment where people are mostly exposed only to their small polarized echo chambers. They are less likely to encounter alternative views and information, which exacerbates division.
Coronavirus, like many issues in America, has been politicized to a point where medical professionals are shut out of the discussion if they don’t agree with the status quo. Isn’t the media supposed to present all angles and give credence to experts who have alternative opinions?
