Why are some congressional Repubs pushing for lower standards governing misinformation?

[whitehall]

Republicans?

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Then again, maybe it isn't since misinformation is their stock and trade.

Correct.

Republicans have long used disinformation, conspiracy theories, and lies as a partisan weapon to undermine democracy and hobble the political process.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Consequently, the guardrails put in place have not been adequate to handle trump introducing the country to autocratic rule.

Pitty the Founders weren't Brazilian.

 

[rightwinger]

No comment on Biden's censorship, just TDS whining. Amazing you derailed your own thread in its creation. Pathetic.

What did Biden censor?

Blatant lies and misinformation

 

[martybegan]

What did Biden censor?

Blatant lies and misinformation

The Lab theory wasn't a lie.

The fact masks aren't as useful as claimed isn't a lie.

The idea of the 6 foot distancing being not based on really anything isn't a lie.

The fact that the shot doesn't prevent you from spreading COVID isn't a lie.

 

[rightwinger]

The Lab theory wasn't a lie.

The fact masks aren't as useful as claimed isn't a lie.

The idea of the 6 foot distancing being not based on really anything isn't a lie.

The fact that the shot doesn't prevent you from spreading COVID isn't a lie.

Lab theory is just that…theory
Still unproven

With an unknown deadly airborne virus. Masks and social distancing are the best defense.

No, the fact that the shot doesn’t keep you from getting the virus isn’t a lie.
But spreading rumors that the vaccine is more dangerous than COVID led to hundreds of thousands of deaths…..that is what the wanted to stop

 

[martybegan]

Lab theory is just that…theory
Still unproven

With an unknown deadly airborne virus. Masks and social distancing are the best defense.

No, the fact that the shot doesn’t keep you from getting the virus isn’t a lie.
But spreading rumors that the vaccine is more dangerous than COVID led to hundreds of thousands of deaths…..that is what the wanted to stop

But not a lie, and not something that needs suppressing.

Once the mortality rate was found to be far less than thought, it became proven and masks became a talisman.

They said the shot stopped the spread. It didn't. It may have reduced it, but it didn't stop it.

You have zero proof of any deaths, never mind hundreds of thousands.

 

[StevenC]

Lab theory is just that…theory
Still unproven

With an unknown deadly airborne virus. Masks and social distancing are the best defense.

No, the fact that the shot doesn’t keep you from getting the virus isn’t a lie.
But spreading rumors that the vaccine is more dangerous than COVID led to hundreds of thousands of deaths…..that is what the wanted to stop

Mask are worthless with the particles being able to pass through almost all masks.
Social distancing is also useless. You said it yourself "airborne"

 

[westwall]

YouTube to allow creators banned for Covid-19, election misinformation to apply for reinstatement​

Google-owned YouTube on Tuesday said it will soon allow previously banned accounts to apply for reinstatement, rolling back a policy that had treated violations as permanent.

The change applies to channels removed for posting Covid-19 or election-related misinformation, according to a letter from Alphabet lawyer Daniel Donovan to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Previously, those types of offenses carried lifetime bans.

“Today, YouTube’s Community Guidelines allow for a wider range of content regarding Covid and elections integrity,” Donovan wrote.

YouTube wrote on X that it will be a limited pilot project open to a subset of creators as well as channels that were terminated under policies the company has since retired. YouTube also said its new reinstatement program will launch soon.

Among channels previously banned under those rules were some associated with Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It’s not yet clear whether those channels will be reinstated.

This move follows mounting Republican pressure on tech companies to reverse Biden-era speech policies on vaccine and political misinformation. In March, Rep. Jordan subpoenaed Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, alleging YouTube was a “direct participant in the federal government’s censorship regime.”

In 2021, YouTube said it would remove content that spread misinformation about all approved vaccines.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/23/youtube-creators-banned-covid-election-misinformation-apply-reinstatement.html

Back in 2021 YouTube said.........

YouTube bans high-profile anti-vaccine accounts, says it will block all vaccine misinformation​

Google-owned YouTube banned prominent anti-vaccine accounts in an effort to strengthen its policies on misinformation around vaccines, the company said in a blog post Wednesday. It will also ban misinformation on all vaccines that are confirmed to be safe by the World Health Organization and local health authorities.

Social media companies have said since the beginning of the pandemic that they’re trying to stop the spread of coronavirus misinformation. But falsehoods have continued to run rampant as companies struggle to police the constant flood of posts and uploads to their platforms.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/29/youtube-bans-high-profile-anti-vaccine-accounts.html

It's more than a little paradoxical how trump's FCC chairman attacks the rights of comedians to ridicule Don on national TV while Repub congressmen spend their time cajoling social media platforms to allow more lies and misinformation to be posted without regulation. Then again, maybe it isn't since misinformation is their stock and trade.

Your pal obummer got rid of the law that prevented media companies from broadcasting propaganda.

Huh....

 

[rightwinger]

But not a lie, and not something that needs suppressing.

Once the mortality rate was found to be far less than thought, it became proven and masks became a talisman.

They said the shot stopped the spread. It didn't. It may have reduced it, but it didn't stop it.

You have zero proof of any deaths, never mind hundreds of thousands.

Masks kept others safe, not necessarily you.
Kept you from spaying spittle onto others

The vaccine may not have prevented you from getting COVID, but you got a mild case. Those who still died were predominantly unvaccinated

There is no proof that vaccines caused significant fatalities compared to the unvaccinated

 

[martybegan]

Masks kept others safe, not necessarily you.
Kept you from spaying spittle onto others

The vaccine may not have prevented you from getting COVID, but you got a mild case. Those who still died were predominantly unvaccinated

There is no proof that vaccines caused significant fatalities compared to the unvaccinated

LOL, from the people who used the same one over and over, or over beards, or over their chin?

You keep harping on getting, while I am talking about them claiming it helped stop the spreading.

There is no proof anything said by others led to hundreds of thousands of extra deaths.

 

[rightwinger]

LOL, from the people who used the same one over and over, or over beards, or over their chin?

You keep harping on getting, while I am talking about them claiming it helped stop the spreading.

There is no proof anything said by others led to hundreds of thousands of extra deaths.

Masks trapped spittle coming from your mouth. Spittle that could travel over six feet without it

 

[Papageorgio]

YouTube to allow creators banned for Covid-19, election misinformation to apply for reinstatement​

Google-owned YouTube on Tuesday said it will soon allow previously banned accounts to apply for reinstatement, rolling back a policy that had treated violations as permanent.

The change applies to channels removed for posting Covid-19 or election-related misinformation, according to a letter from Alphabet lawyer Daniel Donovan to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Previously, those types of offenses carried lifetime bans.

“Today, YouTube’s Community Guidelines allow for a wider range of content regarding Covid and elections integrity,” Donovan wrote.

YouTube wrote on X that it will be a limited pilot project open to a subset of creators as well as channels that were terminated under policies the company has since retired. YouTube also said its new reinstatement program will launch soon.

Among channels previously banned under those rules were some associated with Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It’s not yet clear whether those channels will be reinstated.

This move follows mounting Republican pressure on tech companies to reverse Biden-era speech policies on vaccine and political misinformation. In March, Rep. Jordan subpoenaed Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, alleging YouTube was a “direct participant in the federal government’s censorship regime.”

In 2021, YouTube said it would remove content that spread misinformation about all approved vaccines.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/23/youtube-creators-banned-covid-election-misinformation-apply-reinstatement.html

Back in 2021 YouTube said.........

YouTube bans high-profile anti-vaccine accounts, says it will block all vaccine misinformation​

Google-owned YouTube banned prominent anti-vaccine accounts in an effort to strengthen its policies on misinformation around vaccines, the company said in a blog post Wednesday. It will also ban misinformation on all vaccines that are confirmed to be safe by the World Health Organization and local health authorities.

Social media companies have said since the beginning of the pandemic that they’re trying to stop the spread of coronavirus misinformation. But falsehoods have continued to run rampant as companies struggle to police the constant flood of posts and uploads to their platforms.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/29/youtube-bans-high-profile-anti-vaccine-accounts.html

It's more than a little paradoxical how trump's FCC chairman attacks the rights of comedians to ridicule Don on national TV while Repub congressmen spend their time cajoling social media platforms to allow more lies and misinformation to be posted without regulation. Then again, maybe it isn't since misinformation is their stock and trade.

Rolling back censorship is a good thing, you or I may not agree with what they say but they have every right to say it.

 

[martybegan]

Masks trapped spittle coming from your mouth. Spittle that could travel over six feet without it

You must be around some Olympic spitters.

 

[Papageorgio]

Lab theory is just that…theory
Still unproven

With an unknown deadly airborne virus. Masks and social distancing are the best defense.

No, the fact that the shot doesn’t keep you from getting the virus isn’t a lie.
But spreading rumors that the vaccine is more dangerous than COVID led to hundreds of thousands of deaths…..that is what the wanted to stop

And the government has no right to suppress theories or opinions, their job is to protect free speech, not infringe on it.

 

[berg80]

Pitty the Founders weren't Brazilian.

Astounding, right? Brazil did the right thing........we did not (all due respect to Brazil).

 

[berg80]

Rolling back censorship is a good thing, you or I may not agree with what they say but they have every right to say it.

Actually, they don't. Social media platforms are not bound by the 1st A.

 

[Papageorgio]

Actually, they don't. Social media platforms are not bound by the 1st A.

I agree but they should allow the disgusting, to shine a light on it. Just my opinion and I am all for free speech.

 

[rightwinger]

And the government has no right to suppress theories or opinions, their job is to protect free speech, no infringe on it.

You do not have a right to spread damaging misinformation unchecked
Your lies should be labeled as lies

 

[martybegan]

Actually, they don't. Social media platforms are not bound by the 1st A.

And Networks that are given parts of the public airwaves give up some of their rights under it, via the "public interest" clause of the law that lets the FCC regulate them.

Social media platforms are bound by their terms of service, most of which talk about free expression but didn't follow the rules when pushed by the left and the Biden admin.