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LC000903

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONDEMNING THE MAJOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES, AMAZON, TWITTER,

FACEBOOK, APPLE, GOOGLE, SNAPCHAT AND YOUTUBE, FOR THEIR ATTACK ON

THE FREE SPEECH RIGHTS OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

     

     Introduced By: Representative Patricia L. Morgan

     Date Introduced: January 22, 2021

     Referred To: House Judiciary

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     WHEREAS, Free speech and diversity of opinion is critical to the strength, health, and

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endurance of our American political system; and

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     WHEREAS, The American public has become dependent on the Internet and social

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media for news, political commentary, and sharing of their views. Without unimpeded and open

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access to multiple social media vehicles and access to thought leaders and news reports, the

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public is effectively being kept in the dark and force-fed only the opinions found acceptable by a

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select group of technology companies which appear to have a single monolithic political

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philosophy; and

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     WHEREAS, The apparent collusion and coordination of the major technology companies

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to censor competitors and private individuals under the thin veil of making the Internet “safe”

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from political opinions with which these companies do not align, is anathema to our democracy

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and to the proper functioning of our representative form of government; and

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     WHEREAS, These technology companies are hypocritically indulging in the wanton use

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of double standards as they claim to be protecting the public from false and dangerous speech,

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while at the same time allowing hateful and violent rhetoric and threats from preferred actors to

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populate their sites. Big Tech caters to the demands of the proponents of one certain philosophy

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to the detriment of all others, and more importantly to the proper functioning of our society. They

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cannot be allowed to continue to stifle the free exchange of ideas online by imposing narrow

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opinion corridors curated by the most shrill voices of the outrage mob, leaving the modern

 

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Internet a vacuous monoculture echo chamber, tailored to wooden pantomime rehearsals of

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establishment-enforced talking points, but little genuine debate and discussion, with the content

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of public versus private speech diverging ever more widely; and

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     WHEREAS, One of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, stated, “Whoever would

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overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” That truth was

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strengthened by the words of Abraham Lincoln who noted, “Free speech is our wonderful cultural

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inheritance as free people, a rare and precious thing in a world of government brutality and

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oppression”; and

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     WHEREAS, Totalitarian governments use censorship of political and dissenting opinions

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to control the dialogue and their citizens. This current attack on free speech, of suspending the

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accounts of thought leaders, shadow banning accounts, and maligning opposing views with

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“false” labels is a disturbing and frightening embrace of those authoritarian tactics; and

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     WHEREAS, Additionally, the sudden and unwarranted de-platforming of a new

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competitor by the big technology companies violates their responsibility to the public. By

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silencing a competitor, they have maliciously flexed their monopoly power to not only kill off a

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competing social media platform, but to also rob the public of a popular alternative choice on

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which to participate in opinion sharing and dissemination; and

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     WHEREAS, The apparent alignment of these monopolistic technology companies with

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the dominant political party creates an unhealthy and dangerous atmosphere that has the capacity

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to seriously and irreparably damage our republic. Knowledge, a full embrace of information and

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data, investigation of competing viewpoints and robust discussion and debate make our country

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stronger. Censorship makes it weaker and threatens the proper functioning of our representative

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government, our economy, and our futures; and

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     WHEREAS, Free speech is more than a “nice” idea, it is a foundational principle. It is

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vital to the proper functioning of a healthy and enduring democracy. Censorship which silences

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or discredits all views that diverge from those deemed acceptable to a handful of large technology

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companies is dangerous to our American system of self-governance; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

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condemns the recent attacks of these technology companies on our right to free speech and calls

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on them to immediately reverse their malign action and instead promote free, open, and robust

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sharing of political opinions and opposing viewpoints; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Sundai Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of

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Google, Mr. Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive Officer and President of Amazon, Ms. Susan Wojicki,

 

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Chief Executive Officer of YouTube, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and Chief Executive

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Officer of Facebook, Mr. Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Mr. Evan Spiegel, Chief

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Executive Officer of Snapchat, and Mr. Jack Dorsey, Chief Executive Officer of Twitter.

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