Big Tech executives are singing a different tune after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, but their companies continue to silence free speech.
Multiple Big Tech executives attended Trump’s inauguration, but old habits die hard, and free speech is still at risk of censorship, especially on Google’s search engine and video platform YouTube. Wikipedia is also as egregiously biased as ever, and Reddit moderators doubled down on censorship related to Elon Musk.
Below are the worst censorship examples of January, recorded in MRC’s CensorTrack database.
Wikipedia blacklists right-leaning media and smears GOP politicians. At the end of January, MRC Free Speech America researchers found that Wikipedia “effectively blacklisted all right-leaning media” from use in its source material, relying entirely instead on biased, leftist, legacy media. For example, Wikipedia blacklisted media outlets like Breitbart, The Daily Caller, OANN, Newsmax, The Daily Mail, and the Media Research Center. Meanwhile, Wikipedia allows its editors to utilize leftist publications like Jacobin, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, Pro-Publica, National Public Radio (NPR) and The Guardian as sources. Hence, Wikipedia’s rules are rigged to ensure heavily biased political propaganda to users. It is not surprising, therefore, that Republicans and especially Donald Trump are framed negatively on Wikipedia.
Google search results are heavily biased against Trump nominees. On Jan. 8, MRC Free Speech America researchers searched Google for the names of Trump’s cabinet-level nominees as well as FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and Kash Patel, whom the president nominated for FBI Director. When researchers conducted a general search, results included over nine times as many articles from left-leaning outlets as right-leaning outlets. Researchers also conducted a search using Google’s News tab filter and found that the search did not include any U.S.-based right-leaning results for 46 percent of the searches for the nominees’ names. Google instead provided over seven times more articles from left-leaning sources than right-leaning. MRC Free Speech America used the AllSides media bias chart to help distinguish between right-leaning and left-leaning outlets.
Google-owned YouTube censored medical and legal experts for discussing vaccine injuries. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who is a specialist and has been a “board-certified physician for over 40 years,” shared on X how YouTube twice censored his show Ask Dr. Drew. The platform removed an interview Dr. Pinsky did with attorney Warner Mendenhall after the pair discussed an alleged COVID-19 vaccine injury case. During the interview, Mendenhall said he, “believe[s] about half a million people have died from taking the [COVID-19] shot." YouTube complained about this comment citing supposed violations of its infamous “Medical misinformation policy.” Pinsky said he did not agree with Mendenhall’s assertion but he defended Mendenhall’s ability to discuss case details. “It is not medical misinformation for someone to state their belief,” he argued. YouTube also offered Pinsky a “policy training” about its “vaccine misinformation.” The platform also removed an interview of Pinsky’s discussion with physician Dr. Kelly Victory who argued that “the vast majority of the people who've been injured are young, healthy people.”
YouTube also took aim at gun content. The YouTube channel Military Arms Channel posted on X that the platform removed its video, “CZ Bren 805 Rifle.” Military Arms Channel included a screenshot that showed YouTube asserted that the video violated its “firearms policy” because "[c]ontent that facilitates the sale of certain regulated goods, like firearms, ammunition, or prohibited firearm accessories, isn't allowed on YouTube.” Likewise, another channel Mrgunsngear posted on X that YouTube removed its videos on a Smith & Wesson M&P 10 Sport Optics Ready 308 rifle. The screenshot that Mrgunsgear included in its post showed YouTube asserting again that “[c]ontent that facilitates the sale of certain regulated goods, like firearms, ammunition, or prohibited firearm accessories, isn't allowed on YouTube.” More specifically, “the target [the account] showed in the video had the J&G Sales website on the corner of the target.”
Reddit’s community moderators targeted X links over a conspiracy theory. At the presidential inauguration parade, X owner Elon Musk placed his hand on his heart before saluting the audience. Deranged leftists immediately accused Musk of making a “Nazi salute,” and the moderators of multiple subreddits were already banning X links by Jan. 21. A moderator for a subreddit called “Formula 1” announced that the page would now ban content from X “for a trial period.” The Subreddit r/newjersey also banned X links, announcing it with “a photo of Mr. Musk emblazoned with a red block symbol,” according to The New York Times. Furthermore, the feminist subreddit r/TwoXChromosomes declared that a bot would now be automatically removing X links from the subreddit.
