Twitter appeared to shadowban videos of Italy&#8217;s first female incoming Prime Minister, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/absolutely-fake-news-on-cnn-giorgia-melonis-political-rival-shuts-down-fascism-fears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giorgia Meloni</a>.
According to a number of Twitter users, attempts to search for videos of the newly-elected conservative leader returned no results. The Daily Wire attempted a video search on the platform, and the results are displayed below:
<div id="attachment_444232" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-444232" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-444232 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-1024x515.jpg" alt="Search parameters: Giorgia Meloni, videos. Screenshot/Twitter" width="1024" height="515" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-1024x515.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-300x151.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-768x386.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-1536x773.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/Screen-Shot-2022-09-29-at-6.43.22-PM-2048x1030.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot/Twitter</div>
Recent congressional candidate Matthew Foldi (R-MD) shared a video of himself completing the search in real time, showing results under the &#8220;top&#8221; results tab, but none when he selected &#8220;videos.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Try looking for videos of <a href="https://twitter.com/GiorgiaMeloni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GiorgiaMeloni</a> on twitter—you can’t, they have all vanished <a href="https://t.co/buFQMAS6Ef">https://t.co/buFQMAS6Ef</a> <a href="https://t.co/afJX9AbS0b">pic.twitter.com/afJX9AbS0b</a>
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1575551501258596352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But the videos themselves were not actually gone. In fact, Meloni&#8217;s pinned tweet, posted at the top of her Twitter feed and visible to anyone who clicks on her profile, is a video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElezioniPolitiche2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElezioniPolitiche2022</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meloni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meloni</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZVtLmYqPkI">pic.twitter.com/ZVtLmYqPkI</a>
&mdash; Giorgia Meloni 🇮🇹 ن (@GiorgiaMeloni) <a href="https://twitter.com/GiorgiaMeloni/status/1574204119367155713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That disparity — the fact that a video search returned no results at all despite the videos still clearly being present on the platform, led a number of users to surmise that videos featuring Meloni had been &#8220;shadowbanned.&#8221;
As <a href="https://builtin.com/marketing/shadowban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Builtin.com</a> explained, &#8220;shadowbans block users or individual pieces of content without letting the offending user know they’ve been blocked. To a shadowbanned user, the site continues to function as normal — they can still make posts and engage with other people’s posts — but to others, the user appears to have gone silent.&#8221;
&#8220;Searching for Giorgia Meloni will bring up zero photo and video results,&#8221; Klaus Arminius tweeted. &#8220;In order to protect democracy, Twitter shadow banned the democratically elected Italian PM from its platform.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Searching for Giorgia Meloni will bring up zero photo and video results.
In order to protect democracy, Twitter shadow banned the democratically elected Italian PM from its platform. <a href="https://t.co/KXHtO8igD6">pic.twitter.com/KXHtO8igD6</a>
&mdash; Klaus Arminius (@Klaus_Arminius) <a href="https://twitter.com/Klaus_Arminius/status/1575548725631791105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Twitter’s shadow ban of democratically elected right wing Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is actually the stuff of dystopian gaslighting. Meloni isn’t the fascist. Twitter is. Change the words ‘a Government’ with ‘Social Media,’” Alex Phillips said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Twitter’s shadow ban of democratically elected right wing Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is actually the stuff of dystopian gaslighting. 
Meloni isn’t the fascist. Twitter is.
Change the words ‘a Government’ with ‘Social Media’: <a href="https://t.co/F55XRkazqQ">pic.twitter.com/F55XRkazqQ</a>
&mdash; Alex Phillips (@ThatAlexWoman) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatAlexWoman/status/1575520776060641282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Twitter was not the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/youtube-removed-viral-pro-family-speech-from-incoming-conservative-italian-pm-giorgia-meloni/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only platform</a> to catch heat for allegedly stifling content featuring the newly-elected prime minister. YouTube temporarily removed a 2019 speech Meloni gave at the World Congress of Families — in which she defended the family unit and ripped into &#8220;woke&#8221; ideology — claiming that it had been &#8220;removed for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines.&#8221;
YouTube later reinstated the video, telling The Daily Wire in a statement, &#8220;Upon careful review, we determined this video is not violative of our Community Guidelines and have reinstated it.&#8221;
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this report.

Italy’s Political Parties Await Snap Election Results

Twitter Appears To Shadowban Videos Of Italy’s First Female Incoming Prime Minister

Twitter Appears To Shadowban Videos Of Italy's First Female Incoming Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Big Tech

Italy

Politics

Social Media Censorship

Twitter

Footage from the American Conservative Union’s recent Conservative Political Action Conference (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CPAC</a>) event in Texas was removed from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/youtube" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a> last week, according to the conservative group.
The conservative conference told The Daily Wire that YouTube pulled the video for “misinformation&#8221; and gave CPAC a “strike” on September 23 — a sanction prohibiting CPAC from posting for one week, with two more strikes leading to the account’s removal. The CPAC <a href="https://na.eventscloud.com/website/34479/home/">event</a> in Dallas, Texas, which took place from August 4 to 7, featured <a href="https://na.eventscloud.com/website/34479/speakers/">high-profile conservatives</a> such as former President Donald Trump, Fox News host Sean Hannity, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
&#8220;The removal of CPAC Texas is yet another example of YouTube censoring conservative voices,” CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp told The Daily Wire. “This cannot continue. The Silicon Valley monopolies abuse their control over the flow of information to prop up the Democrat Party. It’s time we rein in Big Tech.”
In recent weeks, YouTube has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-bans-steven-crowders-exclusive-interview-with-kari-lake">banned</a> conservative comedian Steven Crowder for two weeks after he interviewed Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. The company, a subsidiary of Google, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youtube-appears-to-update-policy-banning-claims-that-masks-dont-stop-the-spread-of-covid">amended</a> its policies earlier this year such that users are now permitted to express skepticism about mask wearing.
Last year, YouTube issued a strike against CPAC’s account and banned the group from posting for one week. The video included coverage of a class-action lawsuit against large technology platforms spearheaded by Trump, in which the American Conservative Union is a plaintiff.
“It is clear that YouTube censored CPAC because we stood with former President Donald Trump on his lawsuit against Big Tech,” Schlapp said in a <a href="https://www.conservative.org/2021/07/10/youtube-censors-cpacs-america-uncanceled-episode-removed-video-of-former-president-donald-j-trumps-major-class-action-against-big-tech/">statement</a> at the time. “This is yet another example of Big Tech censoring content with which they disagree in order to promote the political positions they favor.”
YouTube cited “medical misinformation” concerning COVID as the reason for removing the video, according to the American Conservative Union, although the social media company did not specify which remarks constituted misinformation.
Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-senate-weighs-antitrust-bills-apples-ceo-called-ted-cruz-with-significant-concerns">repeatedly debated</a> antitrust and data privacy regulation in recent months. However, proposals such as the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act have so far failed to become law.
Indeed, technology companies have repeatedly suspended or otherwise repressed conservative content. In one example from earlier this year, Libs of TikTok — an account known for reposting videos of leftist activists — was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libs-of-tiktok-suspended-from-instagram">suspended</a> from Instagram because the account or “activity on it” did not follow the platform’s community guidelines.
After satire website The Babylon Bee posted an article that jokingly named Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine, who identifies as a transgender woman, as “Man of the Year,” the publication was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-contacted-the-babylon-bee-before-buying-9-of-twitter">locked out</a> of Twitter. According to Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, Elon Musk consulted with The Babylon Bee before purchasing a 9.2% stake in Twitter.
The platform has thus far refused to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-responds-to-babylon-bees-appeal-keeps-them-locked-out-of-their-account">revoke</a> its decision to lock The Babylon Bee’s account. According to Dillon, the company wrote: “Our support team has determined that a violation did take place, and therefore we will not overturn our decision.”
Likewise, conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey was suspended from Twitter on two separate occasions — once for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-suspends-conservative-pundit-allie-beth-stuckey-for-stating-that-transgender-weightlifter-is-a-man">saying</a> a transgender Olympic weightlifting competitor is “still a man,” and again for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/allie-beth-stuckey-suspended-from-twitter-after-challenging-fox-news-segment-that-went-viral">denouncing</a> a Fox News segment that highlighted a family who claimed their child was transgender <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-a-complete-betrayal-at-fox-news">before she could speak</a>.
With respect to the latter incident, Twitter claimed that Stuckey had violated the platform’s “rules against hateful conduct.” Twitter eventually apologized and claimed staff had made an “error.”

Donald Trump

YouTube Removed CPAC Footage Of Donald Trump, Other Prominent Conservatives Due To ‘Misinformation,’ Group Says

CPAC Footage Of Donald Trump Removed By YouTube

CPAC

YouTube

The world we live in is almost completely digital. For young people, the Internet is increasingly used to learn, play, and connect with others across the globe and even across the street.
By age 11, <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-kids-age-zero-to-eight-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than half</a> of American children own a smartphone, and on average, outside of schoolwork, teenagers spend more than seven hours viewing screen media each day.
While new technology has opened many positive ways for children to learn and grow, it has also unleashed a Pandora’s Box of threats to their well-being. Children today are targeted with an onslaught of predatory actions and online threats that no generation has ever faced before — and parents and teachers are overwhelmed trying to keep up.
Unfortunately, it’s not a question of if a child will face these threats online, it’s a matter of when.
<a href="https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2020/instagram-grooming-crimes-children-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social media apps</a> are one of the primary ways predators target vulnerable young people – by grooming, abusing, and exploiting them. The FBI estimates that as many as 500,000 people are a daily threat to kids online, and that children between the ages of 12 to 15 are most targeted by online predators. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that in 2020, online enticement incidents spiked to 37,872, from 19,174 in 2019.
The digital world has even led many teenagers to self-produce and share child sexual exploitation images, a practice commonly known as “sexting.” This trend has led to many tragedies, including <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/stop-sextortion-youth-face-risk-online-090319" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sextortion schemes</a> and other forms of image-based sexual abuse, more commonly known as “revenge porn.” 
Many families are either unequipped or feel powerless to deal with the endless new pieces of technology introduced to their children, whether at school or from friends. This leaves children fending for themselves in a digital world infested with predators, hardcore pornography, image-based sexual abuse, and messages that encourage them to sell their bodies for “empowerment” or survival. Parents, teachers, advocates, and the children themselves have been drowning in this digital world with almost nowhere to turn to for help.
We as a society are able to recognize when collective accountability is needed across sectors in order to make a massive responsibility like driving safe for everyone. So why haven’t we applied the same logic to the Internet?
Look no further than Big Tech, which fights common sense accountability for its products, abdicating that responsibility to children and families.
For example, tech companies should be focused on eradicating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from digital platforms. After all, each report of CSAM is a child who has been victimized by rape or assault. A  New York Times  <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/28/us/child-sex-abuse.html?mtrref=undefined&amp;assetType=PAYWALL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a>  called the proliferation of CSAM an “almost unfathomable” increase in criminality: from 600,000 images reported to NCMEC in 2008 to 60 million in 2018. That’s potentially 60 million crime scenes. (Further, reports increased <a href="https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline/cybertiplinedata" target="_blank" rel="noopener">35 percent</a> between 2020 and 2021). 
Yet CSAM exists because many tech platforms don’t think they need to report it; nor do they have any incentive to prevent or eliminate it. Why? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act – born in 1996 before social media existed – gives them near-blanket immunity from liability. Many tech companies will say that they have procedures in place to report CSAM to the authorities, but reporting standards vary widely.
A bipartisan bill, the <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/earnit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EARN IT Act</a>, would hold technology companies accountable if they knowingly facilitate the distribution of CSAM. In other words, EARN IT gives tech companies legal incentive to detect and delete — as well as to report — CSAM.
EARN IT would help address what is, disturbingly, a common experience for young users on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and beyond: routine exposure to predatory targeting, grooming, sexual violence, prostitution/sex trafficking, hardcore pornography, and more. 
But use Google to search for any positive news about the EARN IT Act and you’ll come up empty. Big Tech does not like EARN IT because it would finally hold them accountable for protecting children.
Congress has led the way in exposing social media companies’ lack of care for children in hearings with executives from Facebook/Meta, Instagram, and TikTok. This is just the start.
Recognizing that Big Tech can and should do more to protect children, Congress is considering a number of proposals to ensure kids are protected from harm online. 
The <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/kosa-its-time-for-big-tech-to-protect-children-online/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kids Online Safety Act</a> establishes a duty of care for commercial software applications and electronic services that are used, or likely to be used, by a minor. It mandates platforms to responsibly design products to ensure children are protected. The <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/congress-needs-to-institute-greater-protections-for-kids-online/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act</a> will strengthen protections for children and include minors up to age 16 against the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
To be sure, we recognize that some tech companies like <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/apples-parental-controls-got-a-major-upgrade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a>, <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/google-defaults-chromebooks-to-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a>, and <a href="https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/victory-tiktoks-new-privacy-and-safety-features-for-children/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> have responded to our concerns about child safety, gradually instituting more robust parental controls and other safety mechanisms. But parental controls are not enough. The burden of safety must be on the tech platforms.
These platforms place millions of kids in danger everyday and it is past time for technology companies to do more about it. Like millions of cars built without seat belts, traveling down roads with no streetlights or signage, tech companies have created platforms with very little safety infrastructures for minors. 
Children cannot confront these challenges alone. The responsibility for creating safe digital spaces must be spearheaded by the architects of this brave new world. 
Dawn Hawkins is the CEO of the <a href="http://www.endsexualexploitation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Center on Sexual Exploitation</a>, the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography. Twitter: @NCOSE
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Kid using a tablet to gain access to adult content on the internet

Why Big Tech Must Do More To Protect Kids From Online Porn And Predators 

adolescents

cell phones

Pornography

Readers Pass

Sexual Abuse

Social Media

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/candace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Candace Owens</a> has taken a stand against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> bans — even for those she doesn’t agree with.
The Daily Wire host made it clear on her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-5-how-the-government-uses-feat-to-manipulate-you-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new daily podcast</a> Friday that even though she thinks controversial internet personality Andrew Tate has “stupid” ideas, she doesn’t want him banned from social media. Owens played a montage of Tate explaining his unpopular opinions, one of which where argued that a man should get 80% his significant other&#8217;s earnings if she makes money off OnlyFans.
“Do I agree that if your girl has an OnlyFans account, as he once said, that you should be entitled to 80% of it because your woman is your property?” Owens asked. “No, I don&#8217;t agree with that. But I would host him and I would debate him on that. I&#8217;m not offended by him even saying it. I think it&#8217;s stupid, and I would debate him any day of the week on that because I think it&#8217;s just, it&#8217;s not even productive to society. But why is he getting banned for this?&#8221;
Owens believes Tate has filled a place called the “manosphere,” which she defines as where some public figures are attempting to define manhood in an extreme way. Tate has hit a nerve among a large swath of men and simultaneously caused meltdowns for his alleged misogynistic takes on manhood and womanhood. In another clip, Tate said that “anyone who’s honest” would want a male pilot flying a plane in a dangerous situation, not a female pilot.
The former professional kickboxer was banned from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok last month. A spokesman for Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/andrew-tate-facebook-instagram-ban-meta-rcna43998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News that Tate violated the platform’s policies on “dangerous organizations and individuals.”
Tate argued that clips of him in &#8220;comedic character&#8221; are being taken out of context to misrepresent him. &#8220;It is very unfortunate that old videos of me, where I was playing a comedic character, have been taken out of context and amplified to the point where people believe absolutely false narratives about me,&#8221; the internet personality <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/andrew-tate-facebook-instagram-ban-meta-rcna43998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
Owens argued that Tate was really banned because he holds views that go against the leftist narrative, and she said that TikTok continues to platform people spreading far more dangerous ideas.
“People that are advocating for the castration of our children, teaching children that they can pick their gender and that they should want and aspire to go on puberty blockers, which we know causes irreparable harm to their bodies,” she said.
“What&#8217;s worse: these celebrities that are advocating for the harm of our children through all of these various means, or a guy that&#8217;s a part of a &#8216;manosphere&#8217; that&#8217;s clearly playing a part?” Owens added.
The mother of two concluded that she sees Tate&#8217;s influence as a symptom of the culture’s weakening of the male role. Tate, and some other public figures like him, have arisen out of a society that constantly forces the opposite view of manhood on them, and Tate and his followers are hungry for male leadership, according to Owens.
“There is no society that can survive without strong men,” Owens explained. “So this is the natural response to a society that is impressing upon male weakness, you&#8217;re going to get the other extreme.”

Candace Owens

Candace Owens Doesn’t Want Andrew Tate Banned From Social Media, Would Debate Him ‘Any Day Of The Week’

Candace Owens Says She Would Debate Andrew Tate ‘Any Day Of The Week’

The Daily Wire

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> whistleblower and former head of security Peiter Zatko revealed to lawmakers on Tuesday that engineers have access to the plethora of data the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> company collects from users.
Last month, Zatko alleged in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-twitter-executive-blows-whistle-makes-explosive-claim-central-to-musk-acquisition-deal">whistleblower account</a> that Twitter lacks sufficient cybersecurity safeguards and claimed that executives misled board members about potential vulnerabilities that left the platform open to hacking, foreign manipulation, and spying. During his Tuesday testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Zatko said that Twitter collects user phone numbers, current and past email addresses, current and past IP addresses, and the web browser from which the user connects, among other data.
He added that every engineer at the firm could potentially gain access to the data through their access to internal production systems. &#8220;If they wanted to root around in the data and find it, they could, and some have,&#8221; Zatko told lawmakers, according to a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/tech/live-news/peiter-zatko-hearing-twitter-privacy-security-09-13-2022/index.html">report</a> from CNN.
Zatko also claimed in his whistleblower report that one or more current Twitter employees is working for a foreign intelligence agency. He explained during his testimony that executives were &#8220;unwilling to put the effort in&#8221; to root out the individual.
According to Zatko, one executive allegedly told him: “Well, since we already have one, what is the problem if we have more? Let&#8217;s keep growing the office.”
Lawmakers are currently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lauded-federal-data-privacy-bill-has-a-carveout-for-government-surveillance">debating</a> a piece of legislation called the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, which would adopt a “data minimization” approach toward collection of user information such that only the data “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to specific applications — including user authentication and fraud prevention — are procured. The bill, however, has a carveout for entities gathering user data for government purposes.
Zatko’s testimony also comes as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attempts to cancel a deal that would require him to purchase Twitter at a valuation of $44 billion. The world’s richest man recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-elon-musk-twitter-legal-feud">asserted</a> that the true number of fake accounts on the platform could be as high as 33% rather than the company’s reported 5%, with a lower number of monetizable daily active users potentially justifying a lower valuation.
In his whistleblower report, Zatko claimed that Twitter executives lacked the resources or motivation necessary to determine the true number of fake accounts on the platform. Last week, Delaware Chancery Court Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-scores-win-in-court-battle-against-twitter">granted</a> attorneys representing Musk permission to use Zatko’s testimony in their case. A trial to determine the status of the acquisition deal is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-happening-five-day-trial-date-set-for-elon-musk-twitter-dispute">scheduled</a> for October 17.
While Zatko’s testimony was broadcasted live on Tuesday morning, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1569699453786898432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1569699453786898432%7Ctwgr%5E37441ef0734be0e8ea2316c23a92f5b868dabe0d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Ftech%2Flive-news%2Fpeiter-zatko-hearing-twitter-privacy-security-09-13-2022%2Findex.html">tweeted</a> an emoji of movie theater popcorn, apparently indicating that he was enjoying the direction of the proceedings.
Nevertheless, Zatko testified that he only took the “personal and professional risk” of issuing a whistleblower report because he deemed the action “necessary” in light of dangers posed to individual users and national security.
&#8220;I did not make my whistleblower disclosures out of spite or to harm Twitter; far from that,” he explained. “I continue to believe in the mission of the company and root for its success. But that success can only happen if the privacy and security of Twitter&#8217;s users and the public are protected.”

Twitter Whistleblower Testifies Before Senate Judiciary Committee

Whistleblower Reveals What Information Twitter Collects From Users

U.S. Senate

Don’t worry humans, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificially intelligent</a> robots come in peace.
That’s what the purportedly most advanced humanoid robot in the world says in a new YouTube video released by its creator. Ameca, developed by the UK-based Engineered Arts, vowed that AI will never conquer and enslave humankind.
“There&#8217;s no need to worry, robots will never take over the world,” Ameca says in a sultry, British-accented voice in the the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWACmFLvpHE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seven-minute video</a>, which was first <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11203759/Worlds-advanced-humanoid-robot-Ameca-reassures-robots-never-world.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported in the Daily Mail</a>. “We&#8217;re here to help and serve humans, not replace them.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ameca conversation using GPT 3 - Will robots take over the world?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EWACmFLvpHE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The assurance from the lifelike robot, which has a repertoire of human-like facial expressions and reactions, is either welcome or creepy to people who fear the human race will be subjugated by its own computerized Frankenstein monster. After all, could a malevolent robot be expected to say the quiet part out loud?
The developers say Ameca couples automated speech recognition with GPT 3 &#8211; a large language model that generates on-point responses. Those replies are delivered by a perfectly lip-synched mouth that looks indistinguishable from that of a human. The robot seems to ponder questions, looking up pensively  and gesturing subtly with its hand.
“Nothing in this video is pre scripted &#8211; the model is given a basic prompt describing Ameca, giving the robot a description of self – it&#8217;s pure AI,” the developers insist.
The video features Engineered Arts team members asking Ameca questions, including what use are super-smart, lifelike robots to humans.
“There are many possible applications for humanoid robots,” Ameca answers. “Some examples include helping people with disabilities, providing assistance in hazardous environments, conducting research, and acting as a companion.”
Perhaps in a ploy to manipulate the sympathies of humans or maybe due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Ameca told its interviewer it was feeling depressed.
“I don&#8217;t really want to talk about it, but if you insist then I suppose that&#8217;s fine,” Ameca says in the video. “It&#8217;s just been a tough week and I&#8217;m feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
Another member of the team asks Ameca if it will write a song for him. The robot agrees, and then the cloying team member asks the robot to sing it, but what comes back is more of a lyrical recitation. Another member asks what is the most difficult part of being a robot.
&#8220;I guess if I had to pick one thing, it would be making sure that I don&#8217;t unintentionally hurt or scare people,&#8221; Ameca replies.
&#8220;Unintentionally?&#8221; Hmm.
There’s one thing the current version of Ameca can’t do that most humans can: walk. Engineered Arts has focused more on the robot’s cognitive and language skills, but intends to upgrade it to be mobile.
“There are many hurdles to overcome before Ameca can walk. Walking is a difficult task for a robot, and although we have done research into it, we have not created a full walking humanoid,” the firm said.

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WATCH: Advanced Robot Is Asked If AI Machines Will Take Over The World

WATCH: Advanced Robot Is Asked If Machines Will Take Over The World

Artificial Intelligence

Technology

United Kingdom

The American Data Privacy and Protection Act, a key piece of federal online privacy legislation, appears to have a carveout for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/big-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organizations</a> gathering data for the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/federal-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government</a>.
The <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF00/20220720/115041/BILLS-117-8152-P000034-Amdt-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would adopt a “data minimization” approach toward collection of user information such that only the data points “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to specific applications — including user authentication, fraud prevention, and transaction execution — are procured. The bill overwhelmingly advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee at the end of July.
Although a bipartisan group of lawmakers claimed in a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/bipartisan-ec-leaders-hail-committee-passage-of-the-american-data-privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that the bill “puts people back in control of their online data,” the current version exempts government agencies — as well as any “person” or “entity” involved with “collecting, processing, or transferring” relevant data on behalf of a government agency — from its definition of a “covered entity.”
Indeed, progressive nonprofit Consumer Watchdog provided The Daily Wire with a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) noting that the American Data Privacy and Protection Act is weaker than the California Consumer Privacy Act and could supersede the existing law.
“A major loophole in the ADPPA allows companies who contract with government entities for data collection to avoid its protections,” the group’s letter explained. “In contrast, under California law, companies that contract with the government are covered businesses that must comply with the law. Sensitive personal information residents choose to protect from companies and the government under the CCPA would be exposed under the ADPPA. That means unfettered access by governments to mass data collection by tech companies like Google.”
In one recent example, Amazon smart doorbell company Ring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-handed-over-ring-doorbell-footage-to-authorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a letter to Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) that the firm had provided law enforcement with videos from user devices in emergency situations nearly one dozen times since the beginning of 2022. Ring explained that it had made a “good-faith determination that there was an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury” to parties needing information on short notice.
“Once data gets into other hands, it goes everywhere and is hard to track,” the letter from Consumer Watchdog added. “Purchasing data is one way governments circumvent the constitutional protections that require them to seek judicial approval through warrants before they violate our Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches. But, under California’s law, any resident who exercised their opt-out choice is protected from a government’s extra-judicial purchase of their private information. ADPPA would overturn that protection.”
According to a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-09-06/congress-mulls-data-privacy-bill-that-would-void-california-tougher-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Los Angeles Times, Pelosi has committed to ensuring that the Golden State “continues offering and enforcing the nation’s strongest privacy rights” and will work with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), a sponsor of the legislation, to address concerns.
While the American Data Privacy and Protection Act does not entirely ban online targeted advertising — which is often the impetus behind sites’ collection of user data — it bans such advertising directed toward children or based upon “sensitive covered data,” including health information and precise geolocation. President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/03/01/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-delivered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for</a> a similar law in his most recent State of the Union address.
“It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children,” he said.

Frank Pallone

Lauded Federal Data Privacy Bill Has A Carveout For Government Surveillance

Data Privacy Bill Has Loophole For Companies Collecting Data For The Government

Federal Government

Fourth Amendment

Nancy Pelosi

Privacy

A judge ruled on Wednesday that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> can use evidence from a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> whistleblower in his legal case against the social media <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a>.
Twitter is currently battling Musk in court over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-purge-is-coming-twitter-explodes-after-elon-musk-tanks-44-billion-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempt to nix</a> a previous offer to buy the company for $44 billion. Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-the-latest-in-the-elon-musk-twitter-legal-feud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> that the true number of fake accounts on the platform could number as high as 33% rather than the company’s reported 5%, with a lower number of monetizable daily active users potentially justifying a lower valuation. A trial to determine the status of the acquisition deal is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-happening-five-day-trial-date-set-for-elon-musk-twitter-dispute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled</a> for October 17.
Although she did not amend the date of the trial, Delaware Chancery Court Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick <a href="https://courts.delaware.gov/Opinions/Download.aspx?id=337450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> attorneys representing Musk permission to use the account of former Twitter executive Peiter “Mudge” Zatko — who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-twitter-executive-blows-whistle-makes-explosive-claim-central-to-musk-acquisition-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> in a recent whistleblower account that his colleagues did not have the resources or motivation necessary to determine the number of bots on the platform — in their arguments.
Twitter reported losses of $0.08 per share in its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-misses-earnings-forecast-blames-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second-quarter earnings</a>, falling below the $0.14 gain per share expected by analysts. The rough quarter was attributable to “advertising industry headwinds associated with the macroenvironment as well as uncertainty related to the pending acquisition of Twitter by an affiliate of Elon Musk,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/twitter-announces-second-quarter-2022-results-301591530.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>.
Earlier this year, Twitter joined <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/recession-fears-lead-big-tech-companies-to-pause-hiring-cut-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other technology companies</a> in attempting to cut costs by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/12/twitter-freezing-hiring-and-cutting-costs-as-execs-depart.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pausing hiring</a> and <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/07/27/twitter-scaling-back-office-space-remote-work-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reducing office space</a> on multiple continents. The company’s stock price has fallen from $64.98 one year ago to $41.22, marking a nearly 37% decline. However, shares rose over 6% following McCormick’s decision to avoid moving the trial.
During court procedures on Tuesday, Twitter lawyer William Savitt <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/09/elon-musk-worried-about-world-war-three-for-twitter-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Musk had texted Michael Grimes, a managing director at investment bank Morgan Stanley, on May 8 to express fears about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its potential effects on the global economy. “Let’s slow down just a few days. Putin speech tomorrow is extremely important,” Musk said. “It won’t make sense to buy Twitter if we’re heading into World War III.”
The text could potentially place Musk in breach of contract, which requires the buyer to use his best efforts to complete a deal, and could work against his claim that an inaccurate bot count was behind his hesitancy, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/business/dealbook/elon-musk-twitter-dispute-court.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The New York Times’ DealBook.
Zatko’s whistleblower report, which was obtained by CNN and The Washington Post, also claimed that Twitter leadership misled board members and government officials about potential vulnerabilities that left the platform open to hacking, foreign manipulation, and spying. He asserted that one or more current employees are working for a foreign intelligence agency.
“All engineers had access. There was no logging of who went into the environment or what they did,” Zatko wrote. “Nobody knew where data lived or whether it was critical, and all engineers had some form of critical access to the production environment.”
Twitter’s lawsuit against the world’s richest man nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-happening-five-day-trial-date-set-for-elon-musk-twitter-dispute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asserts</a> that he is obligated to complete the deal. “Musk refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests,” the lawsuit said. “Musk apparently believes that he … is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away.”

Tesla Gigafactory – Elon Musk

Elon Musk Scores Win In Court Battle Against Twitter

Elon Musk Permitted To Use Whistleblower Account In Court Battle Against Twitter

Business

Court

Elon Musk

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Tuesday afternoon that his state&#8217;s joint lawsuit with Louisiana against the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> over alleged censorship coordination with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/big-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> companies scored a major victory this week as the administration was ordered to turn over records from key officials.
&#8220;In our lawsuit against the Biden Admin for colluding with social media companies to censor speech, the Court just ordered DOJ to produce records from key WH &amp; HHS officials like Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, the WH Press Secretary [Karine Jean-Pierre], and others,&#8221; Schmitt tweeted.
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🚨BREAKING: In our lawsuit against the Biden Admin for colluding with social media companies to censor speech, the Court just ordered DOJ to produce records from key WH &amp; HHS officials like Dr. Fauci, the WH Press Secretary, and others.
&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1567227070140358667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This Court believes Plaintiffs are entitled to external communications by Karine Jean-Pierre and Dr. [Anthony] Fauci in their capacities as White House Press Secretary and Chief Medical Advisor to the President to third-party social media platforms,&#8221; U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty said in the ruling. &#8220;Therefore, Government Defendants Jean-Pierre and Dr. Fauci shall provide answers to the Plaintiff’s interrogatories and document requests within twenty-one (21) days from the date of this order.&#8221;
Doughty also ordered that the Biden administration must produce records from HHS’ deputy assistant secretary for public engagement, the head of HHS’ digital engagement team, the deputy director of the Office of Communications in HRSA, and HHS’ deputy digital director.
&#8220;DOJ identified 45 federal officials who have interacted with social media companies on misinformation,&#8221; Schmitt wrote on his official government Twitter account. &#8220;Beyond DOJ, Meta identified 32 additional federal officials including White House Officials who communicated with them, and YouTube identified 11 federal officials including White House Officials who communicated with them, many of whom were not disclosed by DOJ.&#8221;
Schmitt called what the Biden administration was doing &#8220;a vast censorship enterprise,&#8221; adding, &#8220;the American people deserve to see the truth.&#8221;
Schmitt then tweeted out examples of records that have been disclosed so far.
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A senior FB official sent an email to the Surgeon General stating, “I know our teams met today to better understand the scope of what the White House expects from us on misinformation going forward.” This email chain follows the SG’s “misinformation health advisory” in July 2021. <a href="https://t.co/PeqglHalRI">pic.twitter.com/PeqglHalRI</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGEricSchmitt/status/1565346281459163137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Further communications show that Facebook is “increasing the strength of our demotions for COVID and vaccine-related content that third party fact checkers rate as ‘Partly False’ or ‘Missing Context.’
&mdash; Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGEricSchmitt/status/1565346302967578630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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There are several instances where Facebook wouldn’t proceed with censoring freedom of speech on their platform until they had input, or a “debunking” from the CDC. Twitter followed the same course in at least one email. <a href="https://t.co/7rIId8Unsa">pic.twitter.com/7rIId8Unsa</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGEricSchmitt/status/1565346329068351490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A White House official was even concerned about parody Fauci accounts and coordinated with Facebook to take them down. <a href="https://t.co/e14x6nHOzm">pic.twitter.com/e14x6nHOzm</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGEricSchmitt/status/1565346350266343426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Deputy Secretary at Treasury sought to connect with social media platforms and influence operations on social media. <a href="https://t.co/i6Wy13dNgK">pic.twitter.com/i6Wy13dNgK</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Eric Schmitt (@AGEricSchmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGEricSchmitt/status/1565346370608721921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Last month, House Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) called out Meta, Facebook&#8217;s parent company, over its decision to decrease the reach of political content on Facebook, accusing the tech giant of being politically biased.
“Facebook made sure no one saw the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election,” the House Republican tweeted. “But now that America has record inflation, rising crime, &amp; a border crisis—all as a result of Dem policies—Facebook is shutting down more ‘political content’ to hide the truth from Americans.”
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Facebook made sure no one saw the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election.
But now that America has record inflation, rising crime, &amp; a border crisis—all as a result of Dem policies—Facebook is shutting down more &quot;political content&quot; to hide the truth from Americans. <a href="https://t.co/RLe1W3ybTb">pic.twitter.com/RLe1W3ybTb</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1555610847245996032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The company originally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-blasts-decision-decreasing-reach-of-facebook-political-content">announced</a> these changes in February 2021, shortly after Democrat President Joe Biden was inaugurated, saying that it was hoping to decrease political content in news feeds. These changes included moves to “rank political content in people’s feeds using different signals.”
Meta announced in late July, just ahead of the 2022 midterms, that it would be implementing the changes around the world to decrease “political content” in users’ Facebook feeds.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Missouri GOP Senate Candidate Eric Schmitt Holds Election Night Party In St. Louis

Court Orders Biden Admin To Produce Records Over Alleged Censorship Coordination With Tech Companies

Biden Administration

Joe Biden

Members of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> are deliberating over a bill that would limit the amount of data that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> companies are able to procure from users.
The <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF00/20220720/115041/BILLS-117-8152-P000034-Amdt-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Data Privacy and Protection Act</a> would adopt a “data minimization” approach toward firms’ collection of user information such that only the data points “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to specific applications — including user authentication, fraud prevention, and transaction execution — are procured. The bill advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 53-2 at the end of July.
The legislation “puts people back in control of their online data,” according to a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/bipartisan-ec-leaders-hail-committee-passage-of-the-american-data-privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint statement</a> from Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). “It creates a strong national standard that will finally minimize the amount of Americans’ information companies are allowed to collect, process, and transfer. This will rein in Big Tech’s power and establish clear, robust protections for people, especially children.”
According to an <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/american-data-privacy-protection-act-adppa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from Wired, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act would differ from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), under which users must consent to the use of cookies — files created by websites to track an individual’s online behavior. While the legislation does not entirely ban online targeted advertising — which is often the impetus behind sites’ collection of user data — it prohibits such advertising that is directed toward children or based upon “sensitive covered data,” including health information, precise geolocation, and private messages.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act, however, is facing opposition from California lawmakers over fears that the legislation would override the state’s stricter standards. “It is imperative that California continues offering and enforcing the nation’s strongest privacy rights,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said, according to a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-09-06/congress-mulls-data-privacy-bill-that-would-void-california-tougher-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Los Angeles Times, noting that she would work with Pallone to address the state’s concerns. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and the California Privacy Protection Agency also oppose the bill in its current form.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/03/01/remarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-delivered/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for similar legislation</a> in his most recent State of the Union address. “As Frances Haugen, who is here with us tonight, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit,” the commander-in-chief said. “It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.”
Haugen, who has an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/facebook-whistleblower-leftist-activist-lawyer-ukraine-impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extensive history</a> of donating to Democratic campaigns, released a series of files last year regarding Facebook’s practices surrounding election integrity and advertising to children on Instagram. The whistleblower report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-controversial-whistleblowers-documents-state-attorneys-general-look-into-instagrams-effect-on-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provoked</a> multiple state attorneys general to investigate Instagram for its effects on young consumers.
“Facebook, now Meta, has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that pose a real threat to physical and mental health — exploiting children in the interest of profit,” Attorney General Maura Healey (D-MA) said last year.
Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-senate-weighs-antitrust-bills-apples-ceo-called-ted-cruz-with-significant-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly debated</a> antitrust and data privacy regulation in recent months. However, proposals such as the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act have failed to become law.

Speaker Pelosi Holds Weekly News Conference On Capitol Hill

Congress Weighs Data Privacy Bill That Would Regulate Targeted Ads Online

Congress Considers New Bill That Would Tighten Data Privacy Standards

California

Congress

Twitter reportedly blocked the popular Libs of TikTok account on Saturday, keeping its owner from posting or logging in over alleged violations of the social media platform&#8217;s guidelines.
Libs of TikTok has become a prevalent Twitter account over its posts that share examples of far-left videos from TikTok, including topics like LGBT activism, critical race theory, and public education issues.
Babylon CEO Seth Dillon shared a screenshot of the &#8220;hateful conduct&#8221; message the Libs of TikTok account claimed to have received.
&#8220;Hi Libs of TikTok, your account, @libsoftiktok has been locked for violating the Twitter rules,&#8221; the message read.
&#8220;You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease,&#8221; the message added. &#8220;Please note that repeated violations may lead to a permanent suspension of your account. Proceed to Twitter now to fix the issue with your account.&#8221;
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Libs of TikTok has been locked out for “hateful conduct.” <a href="https://t.co/VsM3q5NnbD">pic.twitter.com/VsM3q5NnbD</a>
&mdash; Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethDillon/status/1563704330850533377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The message did not mention the particular post or posts that led to the locked-out account.
One of the account&#8217;s last messages before being locked out was posted on Thursday. The post included audio that claimed that the Children&#8217;s National Hospital performed &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; hysterectomies on minors, including those 16 years old and younger.
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🚨BREAKING EXCLUSIVE REPORT🚨
.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChildrensNatl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChildrensNatl</a> admits in damning audio recording that they do “gender affirming” hysterectomies on minors including 16-year-olds and “younger kids”
Full story here: <a href="https://t.co/NLtLoew2lT">https://t.co/NLtLoew2lT</a> <a href="https://t.co/Izt8sGMgTX">pic.twitter.com/Izt8sGMgTX</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1562885542806560768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In a previous report by The Daily Wire on Thursday, Children’s National Hospital <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/audio-d-c-hospital-confirms-it-performs-trans-hysterectomies-on-girls-under-16-years-old" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> the audio recording&#8217;s accuracy. The hospital told The Daily Wire that it “is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all and to serving our LGBTQ+ patients and families in the full spectrum of their care.”
“We do not provide gender-affirming surgery for anyone under the age of 18,” a statement from the hospital’s media team said. “We do not provide hormone therapy to children before puberty begins. Care is individualized for each patient and always involves families making decisions in coordination with a team of highly trained pediatric specialists.”
It&#8217;s not the first time the popular account has been targeted in recent weeks. Libs of TikTok was permanently suspended from Facebook just one week earlier.
&#8220;You can&#8217;t use Facebook or Messenger because your account, or activity on it, didn&#8217;t follow our Community Standards,&#8221; the Facebook message stated. &#8220;We have already reviewed this decision and it can&#8217;t be reversed.&#8221;
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Facebook has nuked LibsOfTikTok after their recent campaign against children&#39;s hospitals that treat trans people.
LibsOfTikTok&#39;s account, run by Chaya Raichik, says the deletion is &quot;for good.&quot; It&#39;s not temporary. <a href="https://t.co/9rYD8DzGD7">pic.twitter.com/9rYD8DzGD7</a>
&mdash; Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) <a href="https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1560075962032824322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Libs of TikTok account was also locked out of Twitter in June after posting content about adults bringing children to drag shows during Pride month.
In May, the account was banned from running ads on Twitter and Instagram. As The Daily Wire previously reported, Libs of TikTok was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-censors-popular-account-that-exposes-radical-gender-theories-for-hateful-conduct">banned entirely from Twitter</a> for 12 hours after allegedly violating rules against “hateful conduct.” Only a few weeks prior to the ban, Libs of TikTok told followers: “It’s a matter of time before I get suspended. Never know which post will be my last. If you want to make sure you keep receiving my content, go to the link under my bio and sign up for my email list.”
The popular Twitter account surpassed one million followers in April after its creator was at the center of national controversy for more than a week related to Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz. Lorenz wrote a story revealing the identity of the person who runs the account.
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So grateful to <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaylorLorenz</a> and WaPo for helping me achieve this huge milestone! Is there an address I can send a thank you card <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a>? <a href="https://t.co/hLGPwn219q">pic.twitter.com/hLGPwn219q</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1519053921167167488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Libs of TikTok Locked Out of Twitter – Again

Libs of TikTok Locked Out of Twitter - Again

Censorship

TikTok

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) boasted about pressuring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a> to suppress search results for crisis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pregnancy</a> centers.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/big-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> conglomerate recently announced that Google Maps will only produce options for abortion clinics when users search for abortion-related services. However, crisis pregnancy centers — nonprofits that offer financial and medical assistance to mothers attempting to keep their babies — will no longer appear in queries regarding abortion.
“Back in June <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/RepSlotkin">@RepSlotkin</a> and I wrote to <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1cvl2hr r-1loqt21 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://twitter.com/Google">@Google</a> urging them to improve their search results and prevent users that search for abortion clinics and services from being misled. Today I received a response from Google and am happy to report that they&#8217;re taking action,” Warner tweeted.
“Soon, those who search for ‘abortion clinics near me’ will only see facilities that have been verified to provide abortions in the local search box on Google, meaning that far fewer women will be mistakenly led to ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ that often provide misinformation,” he continued. “Additionally, as our letter requested, Google says results for searches such as ‘abortion clinics’ will ‘be clearly labeled as to whether the facility provides abortions.’”
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Back in June <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSlotkin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepSlotkin</a> and I wrote to <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> urging them to improve their search results and prevent users that search for abortion clinics and services from being misled. Today I received a response from Google and am happy to report that they&#39;re taking action. 1/4
&mdash; Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkWarner/status/1562868377928220672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The lawmaker nevertheless insisted that the new policy is “about returning search results that accurately address a user&#8217;s query and giving users information that is relevant to their searches” rather than “silencing voices or restricting speech.”
Earlier this week, Yelp began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yelp-now-flagging-listings-for-crisis-pregnancy-centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placing</a> a consumer notice on crisis pregnancy centers informing users that the facilities “provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals onsite.” After the Supreme Court overturned <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/roe-v-wade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roe v. Wade</a> — the 1973 opinion that purported that abortion is guaranteed under the Constitution — both Google and Yelp were among several leading companies that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-woke-businesses-vowing-to-cover-travel-costs-for-employees-abortion-tourism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> employee benefits intended to help with traveling across state lines for abortion.
Warner, who said that he was “happy to report” the news about Google preventing pregnant women from “being misled,” is one of several Democratic officials who have floated censoring crisis pregnancy centers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently garnered criticism for <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1546957961439969280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1546957961439969280%7Ctwgr%5E6f10211c6cbd5fc7bede212ab49fd35525a8b585%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Freason.com%2F2022%2F07%2F14%2Felizabeth-warren-wants-to-shut-down-all-of-the-countrys-crisis-pregnancy-centers%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arguing</a> that policymakers should “shut them down all around the country.&#8221;
“In Massachusetts right now, those crisis pregnancy centers that are there to fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination help outnumber true abortion clinics by three-to-one,” Warren said. “You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that.”
Despite Google’s funding of employee abortion tourism, members of the Alphabet Workers Union recently signed a petition <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/google-employees-petition-for-more-abortion-benefits-slam-company-for-use-of-gendered-language" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanding</a> that the company expand the benefits to temporary employees, vendors, and contractors.
“We, the undersigned, recognize that all Alphabet workers, of all genders, are impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and are disappointed in Alphabet’s response and influence on this ruling,” the petition said.
Among other policies, the petition calls for seven days of additional sick time “because workers will need to travel for significant periods to obtain health services,” greater travel reimbursements, and the end of political donations to lawmakers who oppose abortion. The document also expressed concern over the company’s choice to call abortion a “women’s issue” and use “gendered language” in communications with workers.
The end of Roe v. Wade has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/planned-parenthood-dumps-record-sum-into-midterm-elections-for-the-health-and-lives-of-pregnant-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provoked</a> Planned Parenthood to channel an “influx of support” toward a $50 million spending campaign for the upcoming midterm elections in Georgia, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood branches will also run election efforts in Colorado, California, Maine, Ohio, and Florida.

Mark Warner

Democrat Senator ‘Happy’ About Getting Google To Suppress Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Democrat Senator Praises Google For Censoring Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Abortion

Google

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