Pennsylvania — Concerns about the interference of tech companies in the U.S. election process surfaced again last week, as censorship of information about Donald Trump’s attempted assassination made headlines.
Notably, Meta’s AI mistakenly labeled the event as fictional, Facebook blocked sharing of the now iconic image of a bleeding Trump raising his fist as he was escorted off stage, and for some time Google searches for information about the assassination attempt returned no results.
It raises suspicions for some about deliberate Big Tech censorship. Fifty-seven percent of voters said they believe Big Tech companies actively work to silence viewpoints they disagree with, according to pollster and analyst Scott Rasmussen.
“These incidents confirm suspicions voters have had for a long time about these tech companies,” said Rasmussen.
It is a topic that is of greater concern among many Republicans. However, it raises red flags for Democrats and Independents as well.
The issue of censorship by tech companies ties into a larger debate on American freedom of speech. Fifty-six percent of voters believe that online censorship by Big Tech companies is a serious threat to freedom of speech and 76% of voters are worried about free speech being used to spread disinformation and fake news.
The fair use of technology rings important for a majority of Americans, as 59% are more worried about the federal government deciding what information and news should be allowed than about fake news in general.
Rasmussen explained, “Americans want a fair election system. They want their team to win, but they want the rules of the game to be equal on both sides. Right now what many, many voters see is this idea that big tech companies are putting their thumb on the scale. It’s not something most voters like.”
Crystal Brockington
