How Big Tech Fuels Cancel Culture
By Movieguide® Contributor
Catholic League president Bill Donohue recently spoke out against big tech’s push for cancel culture and how it affects our society.
“Technically speaking, censorship is something that only the government can do: it has the power to stop speech before it is uttered and prohibit the distribution of the written word,” he said. “In a free society, such instances must be limited and well defined. For the most part, our society has done a pretty good job in ensuring freedom of speech.
“Today we are faced with a cancel culture, a condition whereby some controversial ideas are being canceled; in effect, they are being censored,” Donohue continued. “But the censor is not government: it is the private sector. The social media corporations—Facebook, Google, Twitter—are the major culprits. These Silicon Valley behemoths are not interested in canceling all controversial ideas, simply the ones they dislike.”
Donohue went on to say that while the First Amendment provisions do not apply to the private sector, websites like Facebook and Twitter are abusing that power.
“To be sure, the First Amendment provisions on speech and religion do not apply to the private sector; they are only limitations placed on the government,” he explained. “However, when the abuse of power exercised by private-sector titans is so overwhelming that legitimate views of a contrary nature cannot be expressed, then liberty is jeopardized. Facebook, Google and Twitter need to be broken up by government.”
While some may see the situation as hopeless, Donohue encourages people not to accept censorship.
“The good news is that while they may control the command centers in our culture, they don’t own us—there is still an opportunity to push back,” he concluded. “Most people have common sense, and more and more Americans are rallying to our side.”
Cancel culture has plagued society for decades, but amped up in recent years with the rise in social media, creating polarized responses from users.
As Movieguide® previously reported:
According to a recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports, 72% of Americans believe that “cancel culture” has gone too far.
The report, which followed the controversy around comedian Dave Chappelle, noted asked Americans if they thought cancel culture had “gotten out of control.”
The telephone and online survey also revealed that only 15% of those surveyed disagreed, while 12% said they were unsure.
The data also showed that 75% of Americans believe that protecting the right to free speech is more important than protecting people by censoring “offensive” speech. Only 16% disagreed, according to Rasmussen Reports.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
