Companies such as Facebook and Twitter are private entities and receive the same constitutional protections that citizens do. Moreover, they receive protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act because they are platforms and not publishers.
Simply providing a fact check on a post or tweet is not violating anyone’s rights, nor interfering in an election. Rather, fact checks help citizens make informed decisions, especially in the upcoming election.
President Donald Trump’s executive order is simply a baseless, childish abuse of power. (May 29, KansasCity.com, “Twitter obscures, warns on Trump tweet ‘glorifying violence’”) Still, if the executive order proves ineffective or unconstitutional, it provides the groundwork for Congress to repeal Section 230. This would fundamentally transform our freedom of speech and other First Amendment rights.
This issue has already been raised. If businesses can make religious decisions, then platforms should also be allowed to regulate and fact-check, especially when posts are misleading or false.
The president must decide where he stands: for or against the Constitution—even when it may not benefit him.
Raye Shane, Kansas City
Note from KBJ: You're going to lose on this one, Raye. Write it down.
