Report Finds Biden-Era Censorship Initiatives Involved 90 Agencies

The Trump administration’s skirmishes with the courts over broad executive orders and criticisms of judges have been a hot topic. At the same time, the Biden administration has been grappling with accusations of censorship, supposedly in cahoots with Big Tech, as pointed out by the Media Research Center (MRC). They claim that around 90 federal agencies have been involved in 57 distinct censorship initiatives, all behind closed doors, but heavily influenced by President Biden’s public stance on the matter.

This MRC report highlights how Biden’s team allegedly pushed for censoring political opponents and criticized platforms like Facebook for not doing enough. The report also accuses Biden’s Attorney General, Merrick Garland, of ignoring illegal censorship activities. Garland’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is said to have refused investigations even when a federal judge compared their actions to an “Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’”

The MRC urges that the Trump administration’s legacy regarding free speech should be considered, especially when understanding the potential return of censorship if Americans aren’t vigilant. They have teamed up with the House Judiciary Committee, headed by Jim Jordan, who recently subpoenaed FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel was asked to provide documents related to the alleged misuse of power by the Biden DOJ, targeting parents, Catholics, and pro-life activists.

According to the report, the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were heavily involved in multiple initiatives. The DHS even allegedly partnered with the UK’s Counter Disinformation Unit to target speech across borders. The DOJ supposedly encouraged artificial intelligence developers to engage in “anticompetitive censorship.”

A particular focus in the MRC report is how the previous administration used the fight against antisemitism as a cover for censorship activities through AI. AI was used in several initiatives, like Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Partnership for Global Inclusivity, which involved training AI to favor specific ideologies. This was part of a $3 million project paid for by taxpayers.

Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tried to regulate political speech using AI, which MRC criticized for its potential to punish even basic digital enhancements. They were also part of initiatives that exploited Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to impose anti-discrimination rules. The report points out how companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google were inexplicably exempted from these rules.

Elon Musk found himself in the crosshairs too, with his social media company X being gagged by special prosecutor Jack Smith. The State Department was involved in funding a Ukrainian group that sought to censor Musk for his antiwar views. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) also reportedly targeted Musk, especially after he voiced criticism of the United Auto Workers.

In another interesting twist, the NLRB was accused of stifling companies from even verbally discouraging employees who backed Biden’s COVID-19 policies. Trader Joe’s was punished for firing an employee who publicly criticized them for lifting their mask mandate. This action, according to MRC, was seen as unjust given the employee’s disruptive behavior.

The MRC report draws parallels between the Trump administration’s measures against antisemitism and the Biden administration’s use of similar arguments to control online speech. An online symposium hosted by the State’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor & Combat Anti-Semitism involved collusion with Big Tech to censor content. This event was attended by key figures like Neera Tanden and officials from the UK.

The Biden administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism aimed to push AI algorithms to censor speech, urging Congress to punish platforms that failed to meet vague standards of hate speech moderation. Secretary Blinken made appearances in initiatives that involved international collaboration to fund censorship bodies and direct platforms to remove unfavorable content.

Funding from agencies like State, Defense, and the U.S.-funded National Endowment for Democracy supported NewsGuard, a news-rating service accused of bias. The MRC noted that the prior administration secretly continued operations of the Global Engagement Center (GEC) despite its non-reauthorization by Congress. This involved hiding career bureaucrats in various agencies to continue censorship work.

For Trump, MRC’s recommendations included firing officials involved in censorship, such as Sethuraman Panchanathan from the National Science Foundation. They also suggested defunding organizations like the Poynter Institute, which had labeled the COVID-19 lab-leak theory as false.

MRC called on Congress to deliver justice for censorship victims through legislative measures like the Censorship Accountability Act. This act would allow individuals to sue federal officials for First Amendment infringements.

Lastly, MRC emphasized the need for Congress to reclaim its constitutional authority and revoke the excessive power granted to independent agencies like the NLRB and SEC.