ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The White House created an online tool for Facebook and Twitter users to report examples of political bias and censorship (FB, TWTR, GOOG)

Hours after 18 nations signed a pledge to fight online terrorism through content moderation, the White House released a form encouraging people to report instances in which their content or accounts were removed from the social media.

FILE - In this March 28, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. Political nerds, start your streaming devices. Youve got a big Saturday night of programming ahead. President Donald Trump rolls out his complete and total exoneration tour in battleground Wisconsin, his first campaign rally since the release of the Mueller report and an early look at his 2020 re-election strategy.(AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
  • The form, called the "Tech Bias Story Sharing Tool," asks for links and citizenship status, before asking for an email address to be added to the Trump campaign marketing list.
  • The White House frames tech content moderation as a free speech issue, though many of the most high-profile account suspensions include violations of user policies regarding violent and hateful content.
  • Read more on the Business Insider homepage.

The White House wants to know if you've ever been censored on social media.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration launched an online form asking people to submit examples of being blocked on Facebook, Twitter and other services because of "political bias."

The form, called the "Tech Bias Story Sharing Tool", asks people to submit stories and evidence, including links and screenshots, of cases in which their content or accounts were removed form Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.

ADVERTISEMENT

"SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies. No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump," the form reads.

The form asks for details such as whether the person is a US citizen, their zipcode, as well as an email address for Trump campaign marketing outreach.

The notion that conservative viewpoints have been suppressed on social media has become a popular cause among Republican politicians and activists. In September, former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions convened a meeting with several state attorney generals to discuss whether social media companies were intentionally stifling free speech and competition.

At the same time, there has been a growing call for stricter moderation across social networking sites, where harassing hate speech and calls for violence often slide under the radar.

Facebook banned several far right and conspiracy theory accounts in early May, including Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulous .

ADVERTISEMENT

On Wednesday, the US declined to join the Churchchrist Call , an accord signed by 18 countries and led by Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French president Emmanuel Macron, which makes a sweeping agreement to fight online terrorism.

The name references the mass shooting at Mosques in New Zealand that killed 51 people, videos of which were streamed and spread virally across social media.

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and other tech companies join governments in pledging to fight terrorist content in wake of Christchurch shooting, but U.S. refuses to join

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT