UK, US, among signatories to Declaration committing to censor “misinformation” and “harmful” speech
The United States and its partner countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and members of the European Union (EU) have signed a sweeping document called “Declaration for the Future of the Internet”. The report on this was written by Tom Parker and published by Reclaim the Net last April 29, 2022.
According to the White House, signatories to the declaration are focused on protecting human rights, the free flow of information, and privacy. Meanwhile, the EU claimed that signatories to the Declaration were supporting an internet that is “open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure”.
Parker, however, questions the propositions of the Declaration. He says, “…the commitments in the declaration are vague and often conflicting. For example, the declaration makes multiple commitments to upholding freedom of expression yet also commits to bolstering ‘resilience to disinformation and misinformation'”. It also contains the seemingly contradictory commitment of ensuring ‘the right to freedom of expression’ is protected when governments and platforms censor content they deem to be harmful”.
Editor’s Note: The Declaration came a few days after Elon Musk and Twitter reached a deal.1https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-twitter-set-accept-musks-best-final-offer-sources-2022-04-25//efn_note] Could this be the government’s response to Musk’s “threat” to restore free speech? The day before the Declaration was signed, the World Health Organization (WHO) also issued a warning to Musk, saying, “In the case of this pandemic, good information is life-saving. Bad information sends you to some very bad places.”1https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/musk-twitter-approach-spurs-who-warning-on-health-misinformation, https://reclaimthenet.org/who-comments-on-elon-musk-twitter-purchase-and-misinformation-online/
Musk has also been the subject of several orchestrated smear campaigns, with major mainstream media outlets at the helm.
Having gone through the past two years of the “pandemic”, the fear-mongering proliferated by the media, and the half-truths coming from government authorities, we must begin to question why so many people are speaking out against Elon Musk and free speech.
Take note that we are not taking a position for or against Musk’s Twitter purchase. We are simply asking: What is so wrong with being able to access all kinds of information on the internet? Why are governments and institutions doing all they can to protect censorship and promote one-sided reporting?
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