Liberals and Big Tech supporters are panicking about a new potential FCC Commissioner who is reportedly a hawk about online censorship.
President Donald Trump may nominate National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) senior adviser Nathan Simington for the role of FCC Commissioner, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society reported. The article said that Simington “played a significant role in the agency’s social media regulation agenda.” Benton Institute suggested that, if confirmed, “the nomination would represent a significant blow to Republicans who favor a light-touch approach to telecom policy.”
Benton Institute added that “his nomination would be a victory for Republicans who want to see the FCC take a larger role in regulating social networks.” It also noted that “In Aug, President Donald Trump abruptly withdrew Commissioner O’Rielly’s nomination after O'Rielly gave a speech opposing making changes to Section 230.”
The Verge echoed this same idea that Simington played a critical role in “drafting a petition required under the Trump administration’s social media executive order issued over the summer.”
Indeed, the Trump administration called on the FCC to clarify Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act after years of alleged liberal bias among Big Tech companies. The FCC announced a call for public comment for 45 days regarding the Trump administration’s petition on August 3.
Liberal tech outlet The Verge acknowledged that Simington’s nomination would be a game-changer for Big Tech:
“If Simington’s nomination is approved in the Senate, the FCC would have two Republican commissioners likely in favor of voting to approve the administration’s social media order. Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr penned an op-ed in Newsweek last month arguing that the FCC should require social media platforms to submit transparency reports similar to what internet service providers already do.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact the FCC at 1-888-225-5322 or tweet at the official @FCC Twitter account and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “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.
