Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is requesting information from an anti-free speech nonprofit over potential censorship collusion with the federal government.
X (formerly known as Twitter) accused the UK- and U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) of hurting Twitter’s advertising through false claims of rising hate speech in a lawsuit last week. Now Jordan is asking for information on “the interactions between the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and the federal government in particular, as well as between CCDH and social media companies.”
Dated August 3, the letter called out leftist CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed and his group for “appear[ing] to have played a role” in President Joe Biden’s “censorship regime by advising the government and social media companies on so-called ‘misinformation’ and other types of content— sometimes with direct or indirect support or approval from the federal government.”
The letter argued that anti-free speech efforts in coordination with the government, whether “directly or indirectly,” is “a grave threat to the First Amendment.” Jordan specifically zeroed in on CCDH’s COVID-19-era report on “The Disinformation Dozen,” which led to censorship of users like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that CCDH labeled as prominent “anti-vaxxers.” Media Research Center founder L. Brent Bozell previously called CCDH “digital brownshirts.”
Jordan requested documents related to any potential coordination between government officials and CCDH regarding any censorship activities or plans. He also requested communications with the Executive Branch of the government and social media companies. Jordan further asked for a “list of all grants, contracts, or any funds” from the U.S. government.
In conclusion, Jordan warned CCDH against “destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently” of all documents relevant to the congressional inquiry.
The CCDH has an infamous history of anti-free speech activity. For instance, CCDH included Media Research Center in its November 2021 “Toxic Ten” report of the top spreaders of supposed “climate change denial.” Democrat lawmakers also used CCDH research in June 2022 to target crisis pregnancy centers’ websites and requested the suppression of these websites after CCDH labeled the centers as “fake clinics.” Again, in May, The New York Times cited CCDH to slam Google for allowing ad revenue to go to content critical of the leftist climate change narrative.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech and government agencies 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 using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
