Mission: Silence Conservatives - The Next Escalation

It looks like they’re not done yet. The left is escalating their efforts to silence conservative voices on the internet, and it appears they don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

The left’s onslaught against conservatives on social media isn’t surprising, given the fact that right-leaning influencers and organizations have utilized these platforms to reach millions of Americans. Indeed, by using alternative media, conservatives have influenced many who would not normally encounter their message.

Naturally, the left is not happy about the fact that people on the right have found a way to subvert the Democrats’ hold on the establishment media apparatus. On the internet, right-leaning individuals can push back against the prevailing leftist narrative that is promoted on mainstream outlets. Unfortunately, conservatives are now facing increased hostility, and if they are unable to fight back, they might lose one of the most important communication tools they possess.

Facebook Bans PragerU

Recently, PragerU – a conservative educational website – announced that Facebook is censoring their content. The social media company has taken steps to ensure that the site’s three million followers won’t be able to see PragerU’s videos.

PragerU recently stated that their internal analytics revealed none of their followers viewed at least nine posts on their Facebook page. Will Witt, who creates content for the site, announced Facebook’s actions on Twitter:

“BREAKING: We’re being heavily censored on @Facebook.
Our last 9 posts are reaching 0 of our 3 million followers. At least two videos were deleted last night for “hate speech” including our recent video with @conservmillen.
SHARE to spread awareness about big tech censorship!”

One of the videos to which Witt refers, features Allie Stuckey, aka The Conservative Millennial, discussing masculinity. Stuckey’s production, titled “Make Men Masculine Again,” made no vulgar or hateful statement – she simply makes an argument in favor of men embracing their masculine traits.

There is no indication that any of the website’s videos have encouraged violence or contained inappropriate material. A few days later, Facebook reinstated PragerU’s videos and apologized, claiming that it had made a “mistake.” However, it’s not difficult to see that this was a deliberate action against the conservative website, who tweeted: “Does anyone really believe this was simply a mistake?”

The Left Isn’t Done Yet

Recently, Facebook, YouTube, and Apple targeted InfoWars, a website founded by anti-left pundit Alex Jones. The social media giants removed Jones’ videos and banned InfoWars from their platforms.

Twitter also went after three prominent libertarians after they feuded with a journalist. Twitter later reinstated their accounts, claiming that the bans were a mistake, a frequent excuse for the social media company after it has targeted right-leaning entities.

While these leftist-owned companies claim innocence, there are numerous examples of the left attempting to silence conservatives online. Liberty Nation has covered them here, here, here, and here.

The attack on Alex Jones and PragerU represent some of the more audacious actions the left has taken against conservative voices on the internet.

This new escalation is troubling – the far left is brazenly carrying out an online war against conservative ideas. They have given up on debate and discourse, and seek to silence views that contradict their own. While these companies are not violating any laws, their conduct shows that they have abandoned the substance of the First Amendment and are willing to use their power to prevent conservatives from presenting their ideas.

If conservatives don’t want to be silenced, they must loudly protest these repressive tactics. One of the most effective ways to check the left when they try to suppress opposing arguments is to shine the light on them. Fortunately, many conservatives are calling these companies out on social media and television.

The other way conservatives can ensure that their message is heard would be to form social media outlets that allow all types of speech. Conservative Review TV (CRTV) is a fantastic example of how conservatives can form their own television networks on the internet.

Conservatives need to continue to mobilize and innovate if they wish to stay ahead of the left’s attempts to censor them. Otherwise, they could lose ground in the culture war.