Media
large tech corporations that give users free speech in appearance only. If a thought falls outside of approved messaging, sophisticated algorithms are often employed that limit other people from actually ever seeing what has been written. “As a result, we are all talking to
ourselves in a little cave now that is reflective of our own worldview,” said Denton. In some cases, the silencing of voic-
es on the internet has had a dire effect on free expression. A study by Freedom House claims
that the internet has increasingly been weaponized by authorities as a tool of oppression. In its 2023 report, the nonprofit watchdog cited a record 55 coun- tries where people faced legal reper- cussions for expressing themselves online, while in 41 countries people were physically assaulted or killed for their online commentary. Further, the report added that at
least 47 governments deployed com- mentators to manipulate online dis- cussions in their favor, double the number from a decade ago. Denton understands the impact
of censorship firsthand. In October 2022, a week before the midterm elections, he was one of several con- servative voices to discover that their social media accounts on Twitter
Artificial Intelligence Threatens Free Speech
O
nline censorship is to accelerate as new AI technologies become more advanced and
widespread, warn industry experts. Jake Denton, a research associate at The
Heritage Foundation’s Tech Policy Center, told Newsmax that the new technology has already been weaponized to limit access to information and to restrict free speech. “This is already underway in models like ChatGPT with what it calls content
moderation, which, at its core, is censoring what information the user can access,” said Denton. A study by Freedom House claims that “the world’s most technically advanced authoritarian governments have responded to innovations in AI chatbot technology, attempting to ensure that the applications comply with or strengthen their censorship systems.” Future advancements in AI tech are expected to also increase its ability to limit
the flow of nonconformist ideas, according to Denton. However, unlike current social media platforms, which often notify users of speech violations, the nature of AI censorship will make it much more dificult to detect. — M.L.
had been suspended. He wasn’t given a clear explana-
tion, only being told he had violated the platform’s rules. “It was terrifying. My job was to communicate policy solutions, and in the blink of an eye I was no longer allowed to share my ideas to my audi- ence,” said Denton. “It was so wrong, and it showed me just how vulnerable we really are.” Reporter and columnist Joseph Curl, who worked for the Drudge
Defense Act Targets Leſtist Ratings Group T
he Pentagon has been banned from using the left-wing media ratings
group NewsGuard to determine where to place its recruitment ads. An amendment to the $886 billion
National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Joe Biden, says that before the Pentagon can select an advertising firm, the firm must certify that it “does not place advertisements in news sources based on personal or institutional political preferences or biases, or determinations of misinformation.” The act mentions NewsGuard by name, a blow to the left-leaning organization
46 NEWSMAX | MARCH 2024
accused of targeting conservative voices. Companies looking to place ads use
NewsGuard’s “credibility” ratings to judge if they can trust the veracity of a website’s content. A study by the Media Research Center
found that for the third year in a row, NewsGuard favored liberal and far-left outlets over conservative ones — depriving the conservative sites of advertising revenues. “NewsGuard is just another leftist group
trying to censor conservatives,” MRC President Brent Bozell said. MRC determined that NewsGuard gave
Report as its morning editor, says that the internet in its current state might not be worth saving. “The internet is garbage now. First
it was taken over by porn, then social media, then bots,” Curl told News- max. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one day
soon there’s a real backlash, with peo- ple unplugging and just giving up on what was once held aloft as the most valuable advancement of humanity in the history of the world.”
an average “credibility” rating of 91 out of 100 to “left” and “lean left” media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and Vox. Meanwhile, it gave an average rating
of 65 to “right” and “lean right” outlets — including Newsmax, Fox News, the New York Post, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Wire. The MRC said NewsGuard, whose CEO
Steven Brill is a high-profile Democrat activist and donor, “continues to try to hoodwink Americans into believing it adjudicates media outlet credibility using an ‘apolitical’ process.’”
MAN/LAURENCE DUTTON©ISTOCK
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