As Big Tech censorship continues unabated, a new study has found that Americans — particularly conservatives — are increasingly self-censoring.
Reason reported on Dec. 12 about data published in June in Political Science Quarterly showing the disturbing self-censoring trend. “In 2020, more than four in ten people engaged in self-censorship,” Professors James Gibson and Joseph Sutherland wrote in the original publication. Reason highlighted the high percentages of political moderates who are afraid to speak their minds, though conservatives are the most likely to self-censor. In 2023, per Reason, 48 percent of Americans are reportedly “Not Feeling Free to Speak Their Minds.” MRC Free Speech America released a report on the worst censors of 2023, emphasizing just how anti-free speech Big Tech companies can be. Amid all this censorship, Americans are reluctant to exercise their free speech rights.
One data table showed the percentage from each group that was “Not Feeling Free to Speak Their Minds.” That included 25 percent extremely liberal, 32.5 percent liberal, 44.2 percent slightly liberal, 47.3 percent moderate, 48.7 percent slightly conservative, 51.7 percent conservative and 68.3 percent extremely conservative. Reason acknowledged that different people might mean different things by stating their reluctance to speak their minds, but the fact remains that a significant percentage of Americans, including a majority of conservatives, are now more likely to self-censor.
Profs. Gibson and Sutherland, the authors of the original publication, came to several conclusions. “Our analyses of over-time and cross-sectional variability suggest that, first, self-censorship is connected to affective polarization among the mass public, with greater polarization associated with more self-censorship,” they wrote. The professors later specifically referred to social media and government surveillance.
They continued, “Second, levels of mass opposition to full civil liberties bear no relationship to self-censorship. Third, those who perceive a more repressive government are slightly more likely to self-censor. Fourth, conservatives report engaging in more self-censorship than liberals.” With a clear censorship bias in America’s public square against conservatives, particularly in online censorship, this is unsurprising.
MRC Free Speech America highlighted on Dec. 20 the worst Big Tech censors of the year. Google headed the list, which also included Communist Chinese government-tied TikTok, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and X (formerly Twitter).
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
