How Trump’s executive order on online free speech could upend content moderation
Jan 29, 2025
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Will Oremus, a tech news analysis writer at The Washington Post, dives into the complexities of President Trump's executive order on online free speech. He discusses how the order critiques the Biden administration's role in content moderation, raising crucial debates about censorship versus free expression. Oremus also examines the potential fallout for social media platforms, including risks of unchecked harassment. He explores how the political narrative around content moderation influences public perception and the challenges faced by misinformation research.
The podcast discusses the implications of Trump's executive order as a challenge to content moderation perceived as censorship by the Biden administration.
Concerns are raised about the practice of jawboning, highlighting how political influence can jeopardize credible fact-checking and responsible speech moderation online.
Deep dives
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Content Moderation and Political Influence
The discussion presents concerns about the blurred lines between content moderation and censorship, particularly in the context of political influence exerted over social media companies. The conversation points out that the Biden administration faced criticism for allegedly applying pressure on these platforms to remove content deemed misinformation, which the Trump administration seeks to characterize as government censorship. This sets a precedent where political figures may influence social media policies while bypassing legal restrictions on direct censorship. The example of Trump positioning himself as a champion of free speech complicates this narrative, especially considering his own past attempts to shape tech companies' content policies.
The Impact of Jawboning on Free Speech
Jawboning, the practice of using governmental authority to sway private companies, has raised significant implications for free speech and information dissemination. Experts note that this tactic has been used across political lines by both parties and even foreign entities, leading to a general climate of fear among organizations that study or moderate speech online. Recent actions against entities like NewsGuard show how political pressures can threaten credible fact-checking and transparency efforts, reinforcing narratives that equate fact-checking with bias. As a result, the current political climate could lead to more unmoderated discourse, posing challenges for users who may experience an increase in online harassment as moderation policies weaken.
Amid all the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump during his first week in office came a promise to “restore freedom of speech” and end federal censorship. Keen observers may note that freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution. But the order seems to have something more specific in mind. It calls out what it characterizes as the Biden administration’s pressure campaign on social media companies to “moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech under the guise of combatting misinformation.” Will Oremus, tech news analysis writer at The Washington Post, told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino that the order is a signal of the president’s continued focus on content moderation online.
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