Just in case you thought California wasn’t oppressive enough, the state is now considering the creation of a “fake news” advisory group run by the government. According to CBS Sacramento:
Senate Bill 1424 would require the California Attorney General to create the advisory committee by April 1, 2019. It would need to consist of at least one person from the Department of Justice, representatives from social media providers, civil liberties advocates, and First Amendment scholars. The advisory group would be required to study how false information is spread online and come up with a plan for social media platforms to fix the problem.
Let’s be frank about this: there is no way to solve the problem of “fake news,” because its definition is variable. News outlets are already liable for printing defamatory material. And suggesting that news you don’t like can be policed by the government is a recipe for tyranny. That’s why the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), no right-wing outlet, opposes the bill:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposes the bill, calling it “flawed” and “misguided.” The group argues the measure would make the government and advisory group responsible for deciding what is true or false. It also points out the First Amendment prevents content-based restrictions, even if the statements of “admittedly false.”
This isn’t California’s first attempt to tackle “fake news.” Earlier this year, AB 155 proposed that schools be forced to teach about “fake news.” This from the same state that requires children to be taught that men can magically become women under SB 48.
But this is just the latest indicator that members of the hard Left are so consumed with political victory that they’ve supplanted traditional notions of free speech with controlled speech more favorable to their politics.
