New emails uncovered in the ongoing Missouri v. Biden litigation reportedly show that the Biden Administration’s censorship efforts extended to Facebook to censor private communications on its WhatsApp messaging service. In recent months, the Twitter Files revealed an extensive and secret effort by the FBI and other agencies to censor citizens on social media. I testified on that effort. Democratic members oppose efforts to investigate the full scope of this effort and even denounced those calling for greater transparency as “Putin lovers” and apologists for insurrectionists and racists. Yet, the evidence of an extensive censorship and blacklisting effort by the Administration continues to mount.
Facebook (now known as Meta) is accused of working with the government to target citizens with dissenting views on Covid and the pandemic.
According to emails obtained through discovery, Biden’s Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty pressed Facebook executives to be more aggressive with censorship. Flaherty reportedly objected that “I care mostly about what actions and changes you’re making to ensure you’re not making our country’s vaccine hesitancy problem worse…I still don’t have a good, empirical answer on how effective you’ve been at reducing the spread of vaccine-skeptical content and misinformation to vaccine fence sitters.”
Just a few weeks ago, I wrote that the congressionally created, federally funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) had supported blacklisting efforts at the British-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI). The index was widely ridiculed for targeting ten conservative and libertarian sites as the most dangerous sources of disinformation; it sought to persuade advertisers to withdraw support for those sites, while listing their most liberal counterparts as among the most trustworthy.
At the time, I noted that the Biden administration had played us for chumps. As we celebrated the demise of the infamous Disinformation Governing Board with its “Disinformation Nanny,” the Biden administration never disclosed a larger censorship program.
Shortly after my column posted in The Hill, the NED wrote to me to say that it was discontinuing support for the GDI. Microsoft also was forced into retreat after it was shown to be pushing the GDI’s biased blacklist.
Then we learned of additional funding going through the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC).
We also know of backchannel communications with the CDC and other agencies.
It is assumed that the comprehensive effort to censor was not limited to Twitter. This is another indication of such efforts with Facebook. However, the Democratic leadership has opposed such an investigation for years. They have even refused to accept the email evidence. When I testified on the Twitter Files, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) criticized me for offering “legal opinions” without actually working at Twitter. As I have noted, it is like saying that a witness should not discuss the contents of the Pentagon Papers unless he worked at the Pentagon. It was particularly bizarre because I was asked about the content of the Twitter Files. The content — like the content of the Pentagon Papers — are “facts.” The implication of those facts are opinions.
Members like Wasserman Schultz will likely continue to refuse to acknowledge these new emails. However, the public has repeatedly shown in polls that they want transparency on the censorship efforts. The House may be able to guarantee that transparency as its need continues to rise with new evidence of the government’s efforts to silence dissenting views on social media.
I am concernred that there are two “Concerned Citizen”s posting here. At least they have different avatars.
Dennis McIntyre thinks that censorship of information is a good thing even if it’s true. Reminds me of what happened to a fellow that said the earth rotated around the sun. It was true but he wasn’t allowed to say it. This is a world were Dennis McIntyre is quite comfortable. We appreciate the comment by the leader of the Branch Covidians.
Dennis’s ship sails right off the edge of the Earth.
Anonymous the Stupid is very miffed, so much so that he is again deleting his responses. Though he can’t think of his own metaphors he writes: “S. Meyer’s ship sunk long ago, but he’s still blabbering…”
My ship hasn’t sunk or are you too drunk to notice?
Jonathan: There is still a lot of misinformation about Covid-19 and the vaccines–especially on your blog. So let me try to provide some factual information.
“S. Meyer” says (3/26 @8:05 pm) Biden refused to get vaccinated. FACT CHECK: Biden never refused to get vaccinated. He received his first vac–live on TV on 7/21/20. And he continuously urged everyone else to get vaccinated. On 7/21/21 Biden inaccurately stated that “You’re not going to get Covid if you have these vaccinations”. But during the same appearance accurately stated the vaccinated people are less likely to be infected. This was backed up by many CDC public statements. The scientific evidence is that fully vaccinated people reduces the likelihood of severe symptoms or hospitalization. No vaccine provides 100% immunity.
“Anonymous” claims (3/26 @ 4:47 pm) “they [government?] no longer classify the vaccinated status of hospitalized patients for statistics”. FACT CHECK: The latest CDC report (3/18/23) shows that between 2/07 and 3/6/23 unvaccinated people were between 2.2 and 6.6 times more likely to be hospitalized with Covid compared to those who received at least on booster dose. Anonymous also claims Biden is “blaming the pandemic on the unvaccinated”. He also says the “science” shows it is the vaccinated “who are spreading more viral load around”. FACT CHECK: Throughout 2021 Biden expressed frustration with the nearly 80 million Americans who still had not been vaccinated. He also said the unvaccinated were hindering economic growth, costing jobs and putting unnecessary strain on the health care system. So, yes, the unvaccinated share some responsibility in the rapid spread of the virus. But the real “blame” for why so many refused to get vaccinated is that FOX hosts like Tucker Carlson, and other “anti-vac” proponents kept spreading misinformation about the vaccines .And there is no “science” that the vaccinated were more likely to spread the virus. Anonymous is dead wrong on on his claims!
Unfortunately, some of your loyal followers still cling to many myths about Covid and the vaccines. I am providing the above information as a public service to dispel those myths. I am the equivalent on this blog of Robert Doherty, the WH Digital Director, who is trying to get you to apply some “Reduction” when it comes to Covid misinformation on your blog! I am not optimistic this will ever happen.
“S. Meyer” says (3/26 @8:05 pm) Biden refused to get vaccinated.”
Dennis, you are a liar. You misquoted me several times, as you do with others. You don’t bother providing the quote or a link hoping to deceive others. Your facts are wrong, and you are completely ignorant of events. That also is proved by others.
Here is my quote, liar. Now apologize.
” Our VP initially refused the vaccination and was vocal about it. If one person needed to be canceled, she would be at the top of the list.”
https://jonathanturley.org/2023/03/26/new-documents-expose-government-censorship-efforts-at-facebook-and-whatsapp/comment-page-1/#comment-2273833
.” You’re not going to get Covid if you have these vaccinations”. But during the same appearance accurately stated the vaccinated people are less likely to be infected.”
Dennis, Biden’s contradiction represented previous statements where he was WRONG. This was one of his statements where he contradicted himself back to back. It shows him to be a liar and mentally compromised. The CDC made many errors as well. Fauci outright lied. You don’t know these things. You are ignorant of the world around you.
Your statements from the CDC if we can believe a liar are statistics, time, and selection sensitive. They are deceptive.
The initial vaccination for Covid-19 had merit though we do not have satisfactory data or proof of many claims made. You are too ignorant to realize the difference between an isolated number and one of value.
“So, yes, the unvaccinated share some responsibility in the rapid spread of the virus.”
That is an ignorant statement partially since the vaccine wasn’t available until almost one year after the start of Covid-10 and its rapid spread. If anyone without knowledge of the virus listens to what you say, they know less after reading you than before.
“Unfortunately, some of your loyal followers still cling to many myths about Covid and the vaccines.”
Dennis, you are creating many of those myths. If canceling was acceptable, you would be in line for cancelation.
You didn’t provide any factual information. All you did was cherry pick a few issues no one’s really focusing on and ignored the “misinformation” you posted yesterday.
You claimed the government never implied the vaccine would stop the spread of the virus.
I corrected you on that, reminding you of the “STOP THE SPREAD” campaign they shoved down our throats night and day for months on end, claiming getting vaccinated “STOPS THE SPREAD”.
It doesn’t. They were lying, and so are you.
So Dennis McIntyre, with a wave of you hand you dismiss that Biden told us that if we get the vaccine we would not get the vaccine. I thought that you were all about censoring misinformation. You dismiss disinformation coming from the very top. I don’t seem to remember your criticizing Biden when he first made the statement not knowing what he was talking about. We knew from early on that young people were not likely to die but you jumped right in with vaccinating the two year olds. I understand, genuflecting is your favorite pastime and you will continue to do so regardless of the evidence presented. We thank your for the dues you pay to the Branch Covidians.
Dennis – as an expert on COVID and Fox News, can you answer a couple of questions for us amateurs? 1) Exactly when did Carlson “spread misinformation” about the vaccines, and what did he say? 2) Do the mRNA vaccines provide ANY protection against infection? 3) Are the vaccinated more or less likely to transmit the disease? I am esp. curious about the third, since it is the logical basis for vaccine mandates.
In passing, I must comment on this passage: “Throughout 2021 Biden expressed frustration with the nearly 80 million Americans who still had not been vaccinated. He also said the unvaccinated were hindering economic growth, costing jobs and putting unnecessary strain on the health care system. So, yes, the unvaccinated share some responsibility in the rapid spread of the virus.” The sentence sounds like you believe that Joe Biden says? Surely, this must be a mistaken impression.
“There is still a lot of misinformation about Covid-19 and the vaccines”
Says who? The CDC? They have been deceiving the public from the get go. YOU are being lied to and intentionally DISinformed. You’ll wake up soon enough. It’s coming.
Did you hear this?
Mar 27
Karine Jean Pierre was involved in a rear end accident yesterday.
She was allegedly slurring her words, unable to stand, and they are refusing to release the body cam footage.
No DUI or ticket.
White House Privilege!
Or how about this observation:
‘No press conference from Garland and Wray about yesterday’s hate crime massacre of Christians [in Nashville]. More people were killed than than during Charlottesville and J6 combined. Garland and Wray will keep using the FBI to conduct violent SWAT raids on pro-life Christians.’
YOU Dennis, are so mis and dis informed that you don’t know which end is up. Pathetic, really.
“We also know of backchannel communications with the CDC and other agencies.” (JT)
That creeping fascism has become a full out sprint. Such are the consequences of not stopping an irrational premise in its tracks.
Much of the information that was censored in recent years is now common knowledge among large swaths of America. For example, the dangers of COVID were significantly overstated, while the dangers of the lockdowns and masks and vaccines were significantly understated. The dangers of climate change were significantly overstated, while the dangers getting rid of fossil fuels were significantly understated. The dangers of J6 were significantly overstated, while the dangers of the totalitarian response to J6 by the federal government were significantly understated. The dangers of the Russian attack on Ukraine were significantly overstated, while the dangers of pushing Russia into the arms of China were significantly understated. As we move toward the 2024 election, these and other revelations will reduce the effectiveness of censorship by Big Government, Big Tech, Big Media, and Big Education.
The cure was worse than the dresses.
I hope you are correct but those censors may not care if it is discovered several years later. If it furthers their cause in the short term they have achieved their goal
From Turley’s blog article:
-=-
According to emails obtained through discovery, Biden’s Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty pressed Facebook executives to be more aggressive with censorship. Flaherty reportedly objected that “I care mostly about what actions and changes you’re making to ensure you’re not making our country’s vaccine hesitancy problem worse…I still don’t have a good, empirical answer on how effective you’ve been at reducing the spread of vaccine-skeptical content and misinformation to vaccine fence sitters.”
-=-
This is a smoking gun. (Probably one of many.)
This is clearly a directive from the government to do something that they couldn’t do on their own.
-G
Yet more proof why all Americans should own a gun…because the bad guys see us as their prey
“DeKalb County homeowner shoots and kills intruder, police say”
“Young guys are stalking the neighborhood at night, like 4-5 in the morning, they checking doors,” Proctor said.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/homeowner-kills-intruder-peachcrest-road-dekalb-county
Law abiding citizens using a firearm for self defense is becoming more common.
Wasserman Schulz like the rest of the Democratic members of the committee are useless hacks. I think back to the Watergate days when Republicans went to Nixon and told him he would need to resign. Are there any Democrats who have the b*lls to tell Biden he needs to resign once everything about his connections with the CCP gets exposed?
BINGO!
Their intent is to destroy the American restricted-vote republic of Ben Franklin and replace it with Karl Marx and Abraham Lincoln’s communist dictatorship.
“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
– Blaise Pascal
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“The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail.”
– Abraham Lincoln
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“…THE RECONSTRUCTION OF A SOCIAL WORLD.”
– KARL MARX TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN
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“These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people.”
– Abraham Lincoln, from his first speech as an Illinois state legislator, 1837
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“Everyone now is more or less a Socialist.”
– Charles Dana, managing editor of the New York Tribune, and Lincoln’s assistant secretary of war, 1848
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“The goal of Socialism is Communism.”
– Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
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“The workingmen of Europe feel sure that, as the American War of Independence initiated a new era of ascendancy for the middle class, so the American Antislavery War will do for the working classes. They consider it an earnest of the epoch to come that it fell to the lot of Abraham Lincoln, the single-minded son of the working class, to lead his country through the matchless struggle for the rescue of an enchained race and the reconstruction of a social world.”
– Karl Marx and the First International Workingmen’s Association to Lincoln, 1864
Censorship of conservatives is not election fraud. It can, however, be a very effective way to achieve the same results.