[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Censorship

  Mr. President, our country was built on the premise of dissent, and 
we have seen the power that peaceful protests have in their ability to 
bring change to every level of government. Unfortunately, over the past 
week, we have also seen what happens when criminals and shadowy 
professionals exploit these public expressions of frustration and pain.
  Every single day, Americans are waking up to find that their 
neighborhoods have been destroyed, and they watch news reports that are 
dominated by lawlessness. Many activists and members of the mainstream 
media have attempted to force us into choosing between solidarity and 
maintaining law and order. This is a false choice. It is one that we 
ought to reject. Instead, we should fight for accountability, 
compassion, and understanding. At the same time, we must condemn 
racism, hatred, and the violence that has torn apart so many 
neighborhoods this very week.
  We should also celebrate and defend our right to peaceful 
disagreement in the streets, in the classroom, and online just as well 
as in this very Chamber. Unfortunately, too often, this right is not 
celebrated. Over the years, we have documented Big Tech's history of 
censorship, particularly the censorship of dissenting conservative 
voices. During the 2018 election cycle, a series of pro-life ads that I 
sponsored on social media were taken down for having content the 
platform labeled as ``inflammatory.''
  For years, conservatives have been fighting a losing war against 
content moderation policies that act as a dragnet for dissenting 
opinions. Last week, Twitter rolled out a new ``fact-checking'' feature 
and almost immediately botched a fact check on one of President Trump's 
tweets. Unfortunately, for Twitter, the President was not afraid to 
point out how easy it is for private companies to make mistakes that 
turn moderation into speech policing. We know that social media 
companies have subjectively manipulated their algorithms to capture 
conservative opinions and conservative elected officials. They have 
been doing this for too long for it to just be a mere mistake. These 
are not unintended consequences.
  Last week, President Trump signed an Executive order to bring some 
much needed attention to the issue, and we thank him for that. As head 
of the Judiciary Committee's Tech Task Force, I look forward to working 
with the White House and the Justice Department to preserve free speech 
online for all Americans.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.