Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

whitehouse.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 68 posts

Re: Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

#3

Post by pera »

Interesting how they changed the wording of Section 5:

Yesterday's draft:

> The working group shall also collect publicly available information regarding the following:

> (i) monitoring or creating watch-lists of users based on their interactions with content or users (e.g., likes, follows, time spent); and

> (ii) monitoring users based on their activity off the platform.

Final version:

> The working group shall also collect publicly available information regarding the following:

> (i) increased scrutiny of users based on the other users they choose to follow, or their interactions with other users;

> (ii) algorithms to suppress content or users based on indications of political alignment or viewpoint;

> (iii) differential policies allowing for otherwise impermissible behavior, when committed by accounts associated with the Chinese Communist Party or other anti-democratic associations or governments;

> (iv) reliance on third-party entities, including contractors, media organizations, and individuals, with indicia of bias to review content; and

> (v) acts that limit the ability of users with particular viewpoints to earn money on the platform compared with other users similarly situated.

Re: Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

#6

Post by quantified »

pera wrote: post #3

Interesting how they changed the wording of Section 5: Yesterday's draft: > The working group shall also collect publicly available information regarding the following: > (i) monitoring or creating watch-lists of users based on their interactions with content or users (e.g., likes, follows, time spent); and > (ii) monitoring users based on their activity off the platform. Final version: > The working group shall also…

Interesting, thank you for noting.

Re: Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

#8

Post by minimaxir »

Notable paragraph which was not present in the leaked draft:

> Twitter now selectively decides to place a warning label on certain tweets in a manner that clearly reflects political bias. As has been reported, Twitter seems never to have placed such a label on another politician’s tweet. As recently as last week, Representative Adam Schiff was continuing to mislead his followers by peddling the long-disproved Russian Collusion Hoax, and Twitter did not flag those tweets. Unsurprisingly, its officer in charge of so-called ‘Site Integrity’ has flaunted his political bias in his own tweets.

Re: Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship

#9

Post by henriquez »

This is unconstitutional and will be struck down. The president can’t just decide to change the meaning of a law to make it do something it wasn’t written to do, and assigning three unelected bureaucrats at the FCC to regulate free speech on the Internet sets an extremely dangerous precedent whether you agree with the politics in this case or not.

There are _legal_ approaches to address the real issue of online censorship:

1. Actually amend the Communications Decency Act Section 230

2. Exercise antitrust authority to break up platforms that exert monopoly influence

3. Encourage free market alternatives to established platforms

I believe that online censorship of political viewpoints is a real and serious issue, but it needs to be addressed in a lawful manner. Between this and the EARN IT Act, we are entering extremely dangerous territory for free speech online and I fear the short sighted politicians and DOJ are missing the forest for the trees when it comes to pushing these policies.

Post reply on HN