(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., introduced the “No Publicity for Terrorists Act” in the House this week, an attempt by Republican lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable for allowing terrorist group recruiting and communication.
The legislation would mandate that social media platforms de-platform terrorists and despots, or pay $50,000 per infraction, reported the Washington Free Beacon.
According to Cawthorn, the Big Tech industry has sought to tamp down the rise of former President Donald Trump and his followers. Yet as they attack Americans, Big Tech leaders allow international terrorists to recruit and communicate via their platforms.
“Big Tech is scared to death of a MAGA reemergence in America,” Cawthorn said. “They know they won’t win the argument on policy or politics, so they have moved to silence, deplatform, and ban prominent conservative voices, including President Donald Trump.”
Cawthorn continued to point to the contradictions in Big Tech policy, noting that, while proclaiming Trump and his supporters a public threat, foreign despots are permitted to access and use their platforms.
“It shows their outrageous bias: They claim President Trump is a danger to public discourse, but allow terrorist organizations, hate groups, and dictators to remain on their platforms?”
According to the congressman, his proposed bill could be the first step towards holding Big Tech gurus like Mark Zuckerberg accountable for their traitorous behavior.
“My legislation holds them accountable for their assault on conservatives and exposes their outrageous double standard.”
Cawthorn wrote the bill with Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who noted the track record of Big Tech on their selective enforcement of policies.
“There is no excuse or justification for Big Tech to give known terrorists a dangerous platform,” Good said.
“This is especially egregious given Big Tech’s track record of regularly and unjustifiably censoring conservative voices like President Trump, and Members of Congress,” he said.
Nonetheless, with Democrats in control in the House of Representatives, the bill is unlikely to garner the number of votes needed to move onto the Senate.
