2/29/24 Mike Benz on the American Censorship Regime
Mar 3, 2024
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Mike Benz and Scott discuss censorship threats, internet control by the government, exploitation under the guise of liberty, social media influence on global perception, News Guard's role in censorship, technical aspects of online censorship, and analysis of former President's impact on free speech advocacy.
Evolution of online censorship from war empowerment to extensive regime due to political events.
News Guard, a government-backed censorship organization with ties to CIA, NSA, and NATO.
Implications of EU Digital Services Act on global speech regulation through NATO-driven enforcement.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Government Involvement in Online Censorship
The podcast discusses the evolution of government involvement in online censorship, starting from the empowerment of certain factions through wars to the implementation of a massive censorship regime to combat online recruitment by groups like ISIS. It highlights how political events like the rise of ISIS and the election of Donald Trump led to the adoption of extensive censorship measures to control narratives and dissent on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
News Guard: A Government-Backed Censorship Organization
The episode delves into News Guard, a censorship organization backed by the government, which exerts significant control over online content. It reveals News Guard's ties to governmental entities like the CIA, NSA, Pentagon, NATO, and the State Department, emphasizing how News Guard operates as a front for government agendas, influencing content filtering and ad revenue distribution.
EU Digital Services Act: Implications for Speech Regulation
The discussion explores the implications of the EU Digital Services Act, a NATO-driven law that designates NATO as the key arbiter of online speech. It sheds light on how the Act, enforced through News Guard and other entities, impacts platforms and individuals by setting stringent rules for disinformation, effectively influencing speech regulation on a global scale.
American Counterinsurgency Tactics Utilized Domestically
The episode discusses how American counterinsurgency tactics used abroad, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, have been repurposed and brought back to the United States. Veterans with experience in counterinsurgency have transitioned to domestic agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, applying tactics learned abroad to address perceived threats to democracy domestically. The utilization of these tactics, originally developed in response to insurgent threats like ISIS, is now being redirected towards addressing domestic extremism and shaping the information environment within the United States.
Censorship Strategies Modeled After DARPA Grants
The podcast dives into DARPA-funded research grants focused on censorship strategies, highlighting projects like 'Slaying the Online Hate Hydra.' These grants proposed various methods to censor online content, targeting individuals with differing political opinions. Tactics included top-down censorship, mapping networks of influence to target key amplifiers, and suppressing the 'great unwashed middle' to reduce visibility of certain viewpoints. The podcast draws parallels between these academic research initiatives and real-world applications of censorship to control narratives and political discourse.
Scott is joined by Mike Benz of the Foundation for Freedom Online. They discuss Benz’s background and how he came to become an expert in the federal government’s efforts to censor and control the internet. They then go through some of the more pressing censorship threats from the establishment playing out right now.
