Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has thrown his support behind lawsuits against the Biden administration over social media censorship. He also accused the administration of attempting to censor his own social media posts.
What Happened: Kennedy, in an interview with NewsNation, voiced his opposition to government intervention in social media. He expressed his belief that social media platforms should be allowed to self-regulate, without government interference.
"I don't think the government should be involved."
“Social media sites are welcome to have programs or processes or community rules with a consensus, but once the government gets involved and the First Amendment is implicated, things get out of hand.”
Kennedy, who had his social media accounts restricted in January 2021 for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, also mentioned his own lawsuit against the White House over censorship.
"Social media sites ought to be able to police their sites to take off kiddie porn to take off, advocates of violence or racism or whatever," he said.
"Once the government gets involved and tells them what to do, then you know, we have a First Amendment problem."
These cases, brought by the states of Louisiana and Missouri, allege that the Biden administration illegally pressured social media companies to censor accounts spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
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The Supreme Court is waiting for the outcome of this case before making a decision on the two cases it heard on Tuesday.
Why It Matters: The issue of social media regulation has been a contentious one, with tech leaders and politicians weighing in on the potential consequences of government intervention.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew warned that a U.S. ban on the platform could have severe economic repercussions, potentially putting over 300,000 jobs at risk.
However, some, like venture capitalists Paul Graham and Mark Cuban have supported the ban, citing China’s opposition as further evidence in favor of the bill.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump’s stance on the issue has also been a subject of interest, with some suggesting that his opposition to the ban could be linked to potential benefits for Meta Platforms Inc.
Trump's views align with Deepwater Asset Management's Gene Munster, who thinks it's a "small amount of good news" for Mark Zuckerberg's company.
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