[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4591-H4592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                 ONLINE PLATFORMS THREATEN FREE SPEECH

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H4592]]

  

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest threats to free 
speech is the ongoing politicization of online platforms.
  Some, which have millions of users, have allowed liberal interest 
groups to determine what content is available to the public. A recent 
example is the Southern Poverty Law Center being allowed to censor 
content that they deem hate speech.
  The SPLC has a ``hate map'' that lists over 900 organizations. These 
include pro-life, religious freedom, and border security groups, all 
popular with the American people and all unfairly targeted by the SPLC.
  Why do online platforms empower the SPLC to suppress conservative 
views? There is only one answer: They want to promote their liberal 
agenda even if it means stifling free speech.
  This is a clear and present danger to democracy, and it represents 
another effort to control what the American people hear and see.

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