(ConservativeHub.com) – There’s little reason to doubt claims that Twitter aims to silence conservative voices in the wake of the big tech company’s decision to permanently suspend Donald Trump’s account, along with those of other leading Republicans. Not yet satisfied, however, Twitter announced the launch of a new approach to censorship on January 25, 2021.
Twitter executive Keith Coleman characterized the program (code-named “Birdwatch”) as a “community-driven” method of weeding out misinformation on its platform. Successful Birdwatch applicants can click on posts of their choosing and attach notes to them. Those notes are viewable by other Twitter users in the United States.
🐦 Today we’re introducing @Birdwatch, a community-driven approach to addressing misleading information. And we want your help. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/aYJILZ7iKB
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 25, 2021
Twitter claims that the purpose of the program is to speed up its response to misleading information. Some critics, however, are already questioning whether it will serve as an extension of their program of suppression of any speech that doesn’t fall in line with their agenda. For instance, Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently told Fox News that this confirms Big Tech’s plan to establish itself as the “sole arbiter of truth.”
What effect Birdwatch will have on the social media platform and its users remains to be seen. But Twitter’s history of silencing conservatives voices is enough reason for skepticism.
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