<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/meta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta</a> CEO <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/mark-zuckerberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Zuckerberg</a> joined <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> CEO <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> in his criticism of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a> for the company’s ability to unilaterally control its app store.
During a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/11/30/business/dealbook-summit-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Zuckerberg said that Apple is the only platform “where one company can control what apps get on the device,” a situation he characterized as neither “sustainable” nor “good.” The founder also noted that other systems such as Windows and Android do not exercise such aggressive gatekeeping.
Meta <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/charts/iphone/social-networking-apps/6005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controls</a> three of the top four social networking platforms on the Apple app store, including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook. Twitter <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranks</a> first in the app store’s news category.
Musk, who officially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/go-to-war-musk-targets-apple-claiming-it-canceled-ads-threatened-to-boot-twitter-from-app-store" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired</a> Twitter last month and desires to pivot the social media company’s business plan toward a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-introduces-new-idea-to-twitter-and-kills-it-hours-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscription-based</a> model, said that Apple, which levies a 30% fee on in-app purchases, enforces a functional tax on the internet. The entrepreneur previously said that Apple has “threatened to withhold” Twitter from its app store without explanation.
Noting that Apple has “mostly stopped advertising” on Twitter, the world’s richest man asked whether the world’s largest company hates “free speech in America.” Several advertisers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extremely-messed-up-elon-musk-blasts-activist-groups-for-pushing-advertisers-to-ditch-twitter-destroy-free-speech-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed away</a> from Twitter at the behest of activist groups claiming that “extremists” consider the Musk takeover “a new opportunity to post the most abusive, harassing, and racist language and imagery,” including “clear threats of violence against people with whom they disagree.”
Musk hinted that he would consider launching a new brand of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-to-start-creating-smartphones-if-apple-google-remove-twitter-from-app-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smartphones</a> in the event that Apple removes Twitter from the app store. “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” he told commentator Liz Wheeler.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/raw-exercise-of-monopolistic-power-desantis-demands-congressional-action-if-apple-dumps-twitter-from-app-store" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asserted</a> that a potential move to delist Twitter would constitute a significant abuse of power from Apple. “He’s providing free speech, and so if Apple responds to that by nuking them from the app store, I think that would be a huge, huge mistake,” the governor said, noting that a response from Congress could be warranted.
Musk recently published a set of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-reveals-how-twitters-business-is-doing-under-his-leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investor slides</a> showing that the daily inflow of new users into Twitter has reached two million under his leadership, while “user active minutes per day” reached eight billion. The company now has more than 250 million monetizable daily active users, with all three metrics surpassing previous company records.
According to a <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/elon-musk/less-month-elon-musk-has-driven-away-half-twitters-top-100-advertisers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from left-wing organization Media Matters—one of the groups that signed the letter asking advertisers to sever their relationships with Twitter—as many as 50 of the largest 100 advertisers on the platform have “either announced or seemingly stopped” their campaigns. The world’s richest man initially <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585619322239561728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> advertisers that he acquired Twitter in order to foster free speech and noted in the slides that purported hate speech impressions have dwindled under his watch. The hesitant advertisers, however, have spent $2 billion on the platform over the past two years, dealing a salient blow to the company’s bottom line.
“Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists,” Musk confirmed earlier this month. “Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America.”

New York Times DealBook Summit Held In New York City

Zuckerberg Joins Musk In Criticizing Apple’s Iron Grip On Its App Store

Zuckerberg Criticizes Apple's App Store Policies

Apple

Elon Musk

Free Speech

Mark Zuckerberg

Twitter

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> CEO Elon Musk said Monday that he will soon be releasing files on how the social media platform has engaged in suppressing free speech.
&#8220;The Twitter Files on free speech suppression soon to be published on Twitter itself,&#8221; Musk tweeted. &#8220;The public deserves to know what really happened.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Twitter Files on free speech suppression soon to be published on Twitter itself. The public deserves to know what really happened …
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1597336812732575744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk responded to a user earlier this month who tweeted, “Raise your hand if you think @ElonMusk should make public all internal discussions about the decision to censor the @NYPost’s story on Hunter Biden’s laptop before the 2020 Election in the interest of Transparency.”
“This is necessary to restore public trust,” Musk replied.
The New York Post first reported messages from Biden’s laptop in October 2020, weeks before a presidential election. Social media giants, including Twitter, cracked down on the story to prevent its spread. Current and former national security officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reminder-these-50-intelligence-officers-claimed-without-evidence-that-new-york-posts-hunter-biden-story-was-russian-disinformation">claimed</a> at the time that the Biden story was likely Russian disinformation and a veiled attempt from Moscow to intervene in U.S. elections.
Media outlets such as <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/hunter-bidens-laptop-is-100-authentic-forensic-examination-concludes">The Washington Examiner</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-finally-admits-hunters-laptop-is-real-more-than-two-years-after-the-fact">CBS News</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-rest-of-the-country-is-starting-to-open-their-eyes-major-outlets-confirm-contents-of-hunters-laptop">The New York Times, and The Washington Post</a> have confirmed the laptop’s contents and messages, in part regarding foreign business deals Hunter Biden worked on in Ukraine, China, and elsewhere.
Twitter initially banned the Post’s story on the social media platform. Users were blocked from posting the link to the story or direct messaging it to other users. Twitter also locked the Post’s account for weeks, saying that the Post’s story violated Twitter’s rules against “hacked materials” despite lacking evidence that the materials were obtained through hacking.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey later admitted that Twitter made a mistake in taking action against the Post over its Biden laptop story.
“We were called here today because of an enforcement decision we made against the New York Post based on a policy we created in 2018 to prevent Twitter from being used to spread hacked materials. This resulted in us blocking people from sharing a New York Post article publicly or privately,” Dorsey <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-ceo-admits-his-company-was-wrong-to-censor-hunter-biden-story" rel="noopener">said</a> in November 2020 testimony to Congress. “We made a quick interpretation using no other evidence that the materials in the article were obtained through hacking, and according to our policy, we blocked them from being spread. Upon further consideration, we admitted this action was wrong and corrected it within 24 hours.”
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/go-to-war-musk-targets-apple-claiming-it-canceled-ads-threatened-to-boot-twitter-from-app-store">‘Go To War’: Musk Targets Apple, Claiming It Canceled Ads, Threatened To Boot Twitter From App Store</a>

In this photo illustration, the Elon Musk Twitter account

Musk Releasing Files On How Twitter Suppressed Free Speech

Social Media

Social Media Censorship

U.S.

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> CEO <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> restored the account belonging to Christian satire outlet <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/babylon-bee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Babylon Bee</a> on Friday.
“We&#8217;re back. Let that sink in,” <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBabylonBee/status/1593671784666402816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said </a>The Babylon Bee in a nod to Musk&#8217;s recent acquisition of the platform.
The outlet was banned from the social media site earlier this year for an <a href="https://babylonbee.com/news/the-babylon-bees-man-of-the-year-is-rachel-levine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> that jokingly named Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine, a biological male who claims female identity, as “Man of the Year.” Musk, a vocal fan of The Babylon Bee and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-joke-elon-musk-interview-with-babylon-bee-coming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former guest</a> on their podcast, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-contacted-the-babylon-bee-before-buying-9-of-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consulted</a> with the company’s leadership before launching his bid to acquire Twitter, according to Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon.
“Musk reached out to us before he polled his followers about Twitter’s commitment to free speech,” Dillon reported. “He wanted to confirm that we had, in fact, been suspended. He even mused on that call that he might need to buy Twitter. Now he’s the largest shareholder and has a seat on the board.”
Twitter initially refused to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-responds-to-babylon-bees-appeal-keeps-them-locked-out-of-their-account" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revoke</a> the 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.”
Musk also said on Friday that a decision has not yet been made about restoring the account belonging to former President Donald Trump, who launched his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-launches-third-bid-for-white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third bid</a> for the White House earlier this week. Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jordan-peterson-restored-to-twitter-by-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restored accounts</a> belonging to DailyWire+ host Jordan Peterson, as well as comedian Kathy Griffin, who was recently suspended for impersonating Musk.
“New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach,” the multibillionaire <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593673844996288512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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Americans with conservative viewpoints have faced censorship from the nation’s major institutions, from government entities to technology conglomerates, as Musk himself recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-acknowledges-left-wing-censorship-machine-has-it-out-for-conservatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a>. Libs of TikTok, a popular account that reposts videos from radical left-wing activists, was temporarily <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libs-of-tiktok-locked-out-of-twitter-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">locked out</a> of Twitter several months ago for a “hateful conduct” warning. Allie Beth Stuckey, a commentator and podcast host, 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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that 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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denouncing</a> a Fox News segment that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-a-complete-betrayal-at-fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> a family who claimed their child was transgender.
Musk recently told the public that he purchased the company in order to facilitate open dialogue between citizens with differing opinions. “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” the multibillionaire wrote in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-explains-why-he-bought-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”
The world&#8217;s richest man has nevertheless faced aggressive internal opposition from Twitter employees. He has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-employee-calls-out-elon-musk-on-twitter-it-doesnt-end-well-for-the-employee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> a handful of employees who publicly opposed him and told others that they would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-tells-twitter-staff-to-work-long-hours-at-high-intensity-or-hit-the-road" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to work &#8220;long hours at high intensity&#8221; if they desire to continue at the company.
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NORWAY-INDUSTRY-BUSINESS-ENERGY-OIL-GAS

Elon Musk Restores The Babylon Bee’s Twitter Account: ‘Let That Sink In’

Elon Musk Restores The Babylon Bee's Twitter Account

Babylon Bee

Big Tech

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> CEO <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> announced on Friday that his company restored the account belonging to DailyWire+ host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/jordan-peterson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jordan Peterson</a>.
“New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach,” Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1593673844996288512" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Peterson, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-suspends-jordan-peterson-after-he-tweets-ellen-page-just-had-her-breasts-removed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> from the social media platform earlier this year for a post about transgender actress Elliot Page, previously wrote that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jordan-peterson-id-rather-die-than-delete-truthful-tweet-for-cancel-creeps?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would rather die</a> than compromise on telling the truth about the Oscar nominee’s biological sex.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;m back. Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> <a href="https://t.co/MnWWNDACGD">pic.twitter.com/MnWWNDACGD</a>
&mdash; Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1593680546571616256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Peterson&#8217;s first tweet after his account was restored was the iconic photo of Jack Nicholson from &#8220;The Shining.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m back. Thanks,&#8221; he told Musk.
Peterson wrote a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-message-to-parag-agrawal-ceo-of-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">message</a> to former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, who Musk <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-fires-person-who-censored-hunter-biden-story-banned-conservative-accounts-buckle-up-motherfs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> shortly after assuming control of the company, criticizing the executive for his &#8220;censorious and judgmental action, undertaken in the shadowy background of your equally shadowy company,&#8221; noting that the appeals process for restoring his account lacked transparency.
&#8220;In principle, at least, Twitter is a platform that owes its very existence to the habit, tradition and right of free speech,&#8221; Peterson contended, &#8220;and has as the only possible justification for that existence outside of sheer instrumental greed, its hypothetical contribution to the exchange of views that make up part of philosophical and political discourse.&#8221;
Musk has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-acknowledges-left-wing-censorship-machine-has-it-out-for-conservatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that the left-wing establishment has a massive censorship apparatus to which conservatives are largely helpless. He noted that a variety of left-wing groups <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extremely-messed-up-elon-musk-blasts-activist-groups-for-pushing-advertisers-to-ditch-twitter-destroy-free-speech-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressured advertisers</a> to pause or suspend their relationships with Twitter, resulting in a significant blow to revenues.
Twitter restored accounts belonging to Christian satire outlet The Babylon Bee, which was banned from the social media site earlier this year for an <a href="https://babylonbee.com/news/the-babylon-bees-man-of-the-year-is-rachel-levine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> that jokingly named Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine as “Man of the Year.” Musk, a vocal fan of The Babylon Bee and a former guest on their podcast, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-contacted-the-babylon-bee-before-buying-9-of-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consulted</a> with the company’s leadership before launching his acquisition bid, according to Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon.
Comedian Kathy Griffin, who was recently suspended for impersonating Musk, also received access to her account. Musk added that a decision has not yet been made about restoring the account belonging to former President Donald Trump, who launched his third bid for the White House earlier this week.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks Elen 🙂 <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a>
Really.
Thank you sir.
Probably best to reinstate Trump too. Let him do what he needs to do, and let the people decide. Right out in the open. Where such things should be decided. <a href="https://t.co/fmTEbVNDHw">https://t.co/fmTEbVNDHw</a>
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1593689842256252928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk recently told the public that he purchased the company in order to facilitate open dialogue between citizens with differing opinions.
“The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” the multibillionaire wrote in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-explains-why-he-bought-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.”
Musk has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-elon-musk-sends-blunt-message-to-3700-fired-twitter-employees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduced headcount</a> at the company by half and fired a handful of employees who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-employee-calls-out-elon-musk-on-twitter-it-doesnt-end-well-for-the-employee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly criticized</a> him.
An attorney for the company, for example, posted a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/member-of-twitter-legal-team-blasts-elon-musk-in-message-to-company-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">message</a> viewable to all staff arguing that Musk was introducing the risk of violating a previous settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission by allegedly telling engineers to “self-certify compliance” with regulations. The message also contained a number of secondary grievances against Musk, including the accusation that he does not care about “human rights activists” or “dissidents.”

Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson Restored To Twitter By Elon Musk

Jordan Peterson Restored To Twitter Even After Refusing To Delete True But Controversial Post

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/infowars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Infowars</a> founder Alex Jones was ordered to pay another $473 million to the families of children killed in the shooting at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sandy-hook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandy Hook</a> Elementary School, adding to the $965 million he has already been told to pay.
Jones had asserted for years that the 2012 attack, in which the shooter murdered 26 people, including 20 children, was a hoax meant to help the federal government confiscate citizens’ firearms. The conspiracy theorist must pay a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-alex-jones-ordered-to-pay-nearly-1-billion-to-families-of-sandy-hook-victims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combined</a> $1.44 billion to the victims’ families.
“The record clearly supports the plaintiffs’ argument that the defendants’ conduct was intentional and malicious, and certain to cause harm by virtue of their infrastructure, ability to spread content, and massive audience including the ‘infowarriors,’” Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis wrote in her ruling. “The record also establishes that the defendants repeated the conduct and attacks on the plaintiffs for nearly a decade, including during the trial, wanton, malicious, and heinous conduct that caused harm to the plaintiffs. This depravity, and cruel, persistent course of conduct by the defendants establishes the highest degree of reprehensibility and blameworthiness.”
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer representing the Sandy Hook families, celebrated the decision in an <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMatteiCT/status/1590778197834010624" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> posted to social media. Jones had claimed that the parents of the slaughtered children were crisis actors. “Justice requires that he pay every penny,” he said.
A separate one-page order prohibited Jones from relocating assets out of the country. “With the exception of ordinary living expenses, the defendant Alex Jones is not to transfer, encumber, dispose, or move his assets out of the United States, until further order of the court,” Bellis said.
The latest verdict also follows a ruling from a separate jury in Texas, which ordered Jones to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages and $45.2 million in punitive damages, a figure that may be reduced due to state laws capping the size of the penalty. Families of the Sandy Hook victims began taking legal action against Jones, as well as Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars, four years ago.
Prosecutors in the Connecticut lawsuit argued that the sanction was derived from the number of impressions Jones had garnered online for his claims. “You may say that is astronomical. It is,” Mattei told jurors. “It’s exactly what Alex Jones set himself up to do. That’s what he built. He built a lie machine that could push this stuff out. You reap what you sow.”
The families asked Bellis last month to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sandy-hook-families-demand-new-unimaginable-sum-of-money-from-alex-jones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase</a> the $965 million ruling to $2.75 trillion, since Jones allegedly broke a Connecticut law banning the sale of goods through false statements. The figure was calculated by multiplying the $5,000 maximum penalty under state law by 550 million social media views Jones received in the three years following the shooting.
Infowars <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sandy-hook-families-demand-alex-jones-surrender-media-company-control-accuse-him-of-funneling-assets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed for bankruptcy</a> earlier this year amid the legal quagmire. Another lawsuit claimed Jones had been hiding money, citing his $62 million in withdrawals from the company over the past three years. According to bankruptcy documents, nine Sandy Hook families requested for a trustee to control Free Speech Systems, which owes $54 million to PQPR Holdings, a firm with ties to Jones and his parents.

Alex Jones Speaks To The Media Outside The Sandy Hook Trial In Waterbury, Connecticut

Alex Jones Gets Assets Frozen, Now Has To Pay Almost $1.5 Billion To Sandy Hook Families

Alex Jones Now Has To Pay Nearly $1.5 Billion In Sandy Hook Case

Alex Jones

Courts

Infowars

Sandy Hook

Growing up in Venezuela, a country deeply afflicted by anarchy and corruption, taught me just how important a free marketplace of ideas is to the very foundation of a prosperous society.
The notion that conflicting opinions and opposition ought to be encouraged, not persecuted, seemed revolutionary to a teenager moving to the United States. Just how those states managed to stay united, despite there being open conversations about governmental misdoings, was something my mind could not comprehend at the time.
Contrasting this practice to the countless hours my childhood memories showed of Hugo Chavez’s infamous “cadenas nacionales” – times when my country’s dictator <a href="https://www.clarin.com/mundo/venezuela-chavismo-interrumpir-conferencia-capriles_0_r1GMj9_sDQe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interrupted</a> every national media broadcast and forced all citizens to watch him – left me in a dizzying state of awe.
Freedom of speech is one of the most important civil rights in a democratic society. By promoting autonomy and self-expression, it enables citizens to exercise critical scrutiny in the formation of a public opinion that keeps the governing body in check. Yet, in the past few years, the evolution of social media as a platform for speech has introduced a new and unknown variable into the public discourse equation.
Subsequent attempts by those very platforms at imposing restrictions on public rhetoric have shown one side on the political spectrum being pitted against the other, with seemingly arbitrary decisions being made without further explanations. The same companies who claim the First Amendment acts as their guiding compass seem to struggle with the distinction that ought to be made between a platform and a publisher.
It came as no surprise, then, that when Elon Musk finally announced his take over of Twitter, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extremely-messed-up-elon-musk-blasts-activist-groups-for-pushing-advertisers-to-ditch-twitter-destroy-free-speech-in-america">the internet erupted into chaos</a>. Musk, who calls himself a “free speech absolutist,” has explained that free speech to him is “that which matches the law.”
“If people want less free speech,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1519036983137509376?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reasoned</a> on Twitter, “they will ask government to pass laws to that effect.”
John Stuart Mill’s classic &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486421309/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Liberty</a>&#8220; provides a conception of personal freedom, harm, and freedom of expression that has extended considerable influence on modern First Amendment jurisprudence – the base upon which the law Musk refers to is based.
By presenting an evolving understanding of the meaning of freedom itself, Mill inspires a “marketplace of ideas” in which truth is not deterred by leaders or censorship, but enhanced by diversity of opinion, dissent, and challenges to orthodoxy.
He contends that the organic true self is “not a machine to be built after a model,” but a living thing that must be protected from both governmental tyranny and societal conformity. In this sense, freedom is not exclusively valuable in an instrumental capacity, but it presents choices and expression as a form of self-creation with profound moral significance.
Mill’s defense of freedom of thought provides an argument both promoting the marketplace of ideas and opposing governmental and societal suppression centered around three main contentions.
First, because there is no single individual who knows the truth, restricting an idea may entail censoring the truth.
Second, the best path towards arriving at this truth is through free competition of ideas. If a certain conclusion is unable to withstand the weight of a challenge, then it should not be deemed true in the first place.
Finally, because no one idea is the sum of the truth, even those suggestions containing only a portion of the truth can help society acquire knowledge. In this sense, falsehoods offer value, as they both test the truth and prevent it from becoming a dogma.
Therefore, Mill contends, the pursuit of truth should be directed by an exchange of ideas that empowers individuality against the coercion of social conventions.
 Much like Musk, he believes in a free marketplace of ideas in which individual participants are allowed to organically determine their own rules and regulations, without the need for arbitrary restrictions to be imposed by inexperienced third parties.
This doctrine has arguably shaped modern free speech jurisprudence, as Mill’s harm principle’s determination that speech may only be limited when it causes a direct and clear violation of rights is reflected in standard First Amendment applications and common law cases.
This was best exemplified in the case of <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/supreme-court/1978/49769-6.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Village of Skokie v. National Socialist Party of America</a>, where the Illinois Supreme Court held that a display of swastikas did not constitute “fighting words,” meaning that it was not likely to incite immediate violence or retaliation, and its restriction was therefore unconstitutional. 
This evaluation of whether an expression will result in imminent lawless action found in the American legal system represents Mill’s legacy: “public expression of ideas may not be prohibited merely because the ideas are themselves offensive to some of their hearers.”
However, it is important to consider that if Mill’s principle is used as the base for limiting speech, very few prohibitions will result. Since restriction is only warranted when a direct harm can be demonstrated, this will potentially translate into only cases implicating specific individuals or tangible consequences getting checked.
Thus, as Elon Musk ventures out to reimagine a world in which social media promotes “absolute” freedom of speech, this same struggle for balance between safety and liberty is bound to present a challenge.
Whatever the case, it is imperative that the United States maintain the same course towards freedom of thought and diversity of opinion that has allowed this nation to adopt such an extraordinary role in history.
I already had to leave my country. If this one fails, I don’t know where I’ll go.
Olga Benacerraf is a Pre-Law student at Boston University and is originally from Caracas, Venezuela.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

VENEZUELA-POLITICS-RECALL REFERENDUM

Growing Up In Venezuela Made Me Appreciate Free Speech And The Marketplace Of Ideas

First Amendment

Readers Pass

Venezuela

World

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a>, the new owner of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, rolled out a new mechanism to identify “official” accounts but “killed” the idea shortly thereafter.
The social media platform is working to reconsider which users receive the blue checkmark icon next to their names. Before the world’s richest man acquired the company, the symbol indicated accounts belonging to celebrities, official government agencies, members of the media, and other “authentic accounts of public interest,” according to a <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/about-twitter-verified-accounts#requirements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help page</a> published by Twitter.
The new mechanism <a href="https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/1590353328931831810">added</a> the word &#8220;Official&#8221; under verified accounts in addition to the traditional blue checkmark.
Users with a blue checkmark either received the designation under the “previous verification criteria” or enrolled in Twitter Blue, a subscription plan introduced on Wednesday by which users can pay $7.99 per month for verification.
After high-profile users expressed confusion and disapproval for the move, the labels were nixed. Musk remarked on Wednesday that he personally “killed” the idea.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I just killed it
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1590383366213611522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1590384919829962752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>, noting that the company will “keep what works” and “change what doesn’t.”
Some criticism regarding the new verification and pricing regime was less than constructive. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-complains-about-changes-on-twitter-musk-torches-her" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> that “a billionaire” was “earnestly trying to sell people on the idea” that free expression comes at the price of an $8 subscription plan. Musk responded, “Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8,” and posted a screenshot of a hoodie that the lawmaker sells online for $58.
Musk also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-permanently-bans-kathy-griffin-after-she-impersonated-elon-musk-she-fd-around-and-found-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibited</a> users from impersonating others, permanently banning comedian Kathy Griffin for pretending to be Musk himself. “Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” Musk cautioned. “Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning.”
The multibillionaire, who said he bought the company for $44 billion in order to reserve a corner of the public square for open dialogue, induced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftists-fume-after-musk-takes-over-twitter-its-like-the-gates-of-hell-opened-on-this-site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leftist ire</a> after he officially took over the platform two weeks ago. Musk said that a number of advertisers have since ended their relationships with the company, dealing a significant blow to the business.
“Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists,” Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1588538640401018880" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a> on the platform. “Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America.”
A number of left-leaning organizations, including Media Matters for America, the NAACP, the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, recently wrote a <a href="https://www.freepress.net/sites/default/files/2022-11/coalition_open_letter_to_twitter_top_20_advertisers_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the executives of major advertisers, calling on them to “cease all advertising” if Musk backs down from content moderation. “Not only are extremists celebrating Musk’s takeover of Twitter, they are seeing it as a new opportunity to post the most abusive, harassing, and racist language and imagery,” the organizations alleged. “This includes clear threats of violence against people with whom they disagree. Without deliberate efforts by Twitter to address this type of abuse and hate, your brands will be actively supporting accelerating extremism.”

Elon Musk and Twitter

Elon Musk Introduces New Idea To Twitter And Kills It Hours Later

Elon Musk Rolled Out 'Official’ Tags On Twitter And ‘Killed’ Them On The Same Day

The following book excerpt is from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Changes-Everything-Perspectives-Ministries/dp/1540900371/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1667505905&amp;sr=1-1">Truth Changes Everything</a> by Dr. Jeff Myers.
In the past, the truths viewpoint led to a soft tolerance that said that individual truth claims must be accepted unless they directly harm others. This has changed in the last half century with the teachings of scholars like Herbert Marcuse (1898 – 1979), a Marxist professor and the popularizer of critical theory. To Marcuse, intolerance is a virtue and tolerance is a vice. Tolerance legitimizes viewpoints that should not be tolerated. Tolerance is “serving the cause of oppression,” he says.
As more people embrace the truths viewpoint, traditional protections of tolerance, such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press, are coming under attack. Fifty-one percent of Americans now say that the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, is outdated and should be rewritten to prevent hate speech and better reflect the cultural mores of the times. In the truths viewpoint, psychology replaces logic. Carl R. Trueman says, “Once harm and oppression are regarded as being primarily psychological categories, freedom of speech then becomes part of the problem, not the solution, because words become potential weapons.”
Many worldviews do, by their nature and the example of their leaders, weaponize language to demean others. Take, for example, the Marxist worldview and one of its heroes, Vladimir Lenin (1870 – 1924). Biographer Victor Sebestyen notes that Lenin carefully crafted a harsh and abusive way of making his arguments and as a result “almost single-handedly &#8230; changed the language on the revolutionary Left.” His opponents weren’t just wrong. They were “scoundrels,” “philistines,” “cretins,” “filthy scum,” or other names that are too profane to mention here. One of Lenin’s close associates, Moishe Olgin, remarked, “He does not reply to an opponent. He vivisects him. &#8230; He ridicules his opponent. He castigates him. He makes you feel that his victim is an ignoramus, a fool, a presumptuous nonentity.”
Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, Sebestyen says, Communists everywhere “learned that it made sense to play the man, not the ball — and how to do it with ruthless efficiency.” It became “settled Bolshevik practice.”
Saul Alinsky’s bestselling book, Rules for Radicals, carried Lenin’s death-dealing rhetoric into American life. “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon,” he gloats. “There is no defense. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.”
Christians often feel especially targeted. Social commentator Rod Dreher says that “a progressive — and profoundly anti-Christian militancy — is steadily overtaking society &#8230; empowered by unprecedented technological capabilities to surveil private life. There is virtually nowhere left to hide.”
Some Christians I have talked to believe the only way Truth can “win” is to fight fire with fire. In the Summit Ministries program, we’ve tried to teach and model a different way: telling the Truth while being gracious.
Admittedly, the fight fire with fire strategy draws more attention. “Watch person X humiliate person Y in three sentences” is a social media link that will get more traction than “Watch person X respond to person Y with Truth and grace.” Yet the Jesus follower should have more than an immediate victory in mind. We may find those we disagree with irritating (they may feel the same way about us), but they still have dignity as image bearers of God with eternal souls. Here are four steps I hope and pray are making a difference in my own life and in the lives of those I communicate with.
First, speak up. If the Truth is true at every moment, then at every moment we must proclaim it. The antidote to culture-depleting indoctrination is to tell the Truth, expose people to the lies that would deceive them, show them how to refute those lies, and prepare them with the thinking skills necessary to resist falsehood.
Second, be personal. People most clearly see the Truth found in the person of Jesus when we respect their personhood and interact in a personal way. Truth rarely hits people over the head. More often, it dawns on them. “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1). How do we communicate softly? At Summit Ministries, we teach students to engage in conversation and ask good questions. As Emily Dickinson says, “The truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind.”
Third, build trust. People have lost trust in one another. That’s the conclusion of a recent study by the Pew Research Center. Seventy percent think there is less confidence in one another than twenty years ago. Much of the distrust is based on fear of harm. Three-quarters of conservatives and half of liberals say they hold opinions they are afraid to share because they might face public shame or even lose their jobs. Many lay the blame for today’s distrust at the feet of social media. If social media is often a barrier to trust, personal interaction is a bridge to it.
Fourth, practice. We rarely get to choose the timing of our opportunities to speak Truth. We must be ready when the moment arises. This means we need to have a few basic habits of conversation in mind, such as how to ask good questions, how to affirm others’ search for Truth, and what to do if the conversation becomes hostile.
The good news is that most people want to get along and build trusting relationships.
We cannot let the worst among us dictate how we seek the best between us. It’s time to talk.
Dr. Jeff Myers is president of Summit Ministries, a Colorado-based nonprofit organization that equips and supports the rising generation to embrace God’s Truth and champion a biblical worldview.
This book excerpt is from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Changes-Everything-Perspectives-Ministries/dp/1540900371/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1667505905&amp;sr=1-1">Truth Changes Everything: How People Of Faith Can Transform The World In Times Of Crisis</a>, by Dr. Jeff Myer, (October 18, 2022, Baker Books), @ 2022 Summit Ministries, Inc., used by permission from Baker Books, a division of <a href="http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com">Baker Publishing Group</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Senior men having coffee in front of suburban home

How To Tell The Truth And Be Nice At The Same Time

Books

Christianity

Marxism

Religion

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> issued a dire warning about free speech in America during a rare glimpse of Trump’s inner circle caught on camera.
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-the-trailer-new-documentary-my-dinner-with-trump-puts-viewers-at-table-with-45s-braintrust" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Dinner with Trump</a>,” a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Wire+</a> documentary featuring footage shot at Trump’s Bedminster, N.J., golf club, captures the former president talking with key advisers at a crucial time in his post-presidency. During one part of the exclusive dinner, Trump derides the legacy media, blaming them for the erosion of free speech.
“Ben, there’s never been a period of time like this. The country is going bad,” the former president said to his Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. “You have the media is shut, closed, not free, corrupt as can be, and probably scared. You cannot get the word out unless you’re really good, and we’re pretty good, and we’re getting the word out.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/my-dinner-with-trump/subscribe?_gl=1*103p64k*_ga*MjU2MTkxNDE1LjE2NjY5ODU2MDY.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY2NzQyMDQ2Ny4yMS4xLjE2Njc0Mjg4OTUuMi4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK TO BECOME A DAILY WIRE MEMBER AND WATCH ‘MY DINNER WITH TRUMP’</a>
Trump added that in all of American history, the media has never been so corrupt, and it’s evidence of something far more dangerous. Carson jumped in, arguing that many Americans don’t realize how free speech can be taken away even without government intrusion. Carson’s warning seems prescient given fresh reports on how the FBI and other federal agencies <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-tech-worked-closely-with-the-fbi-and-dhs-to-police-disinformation/">worked hand-in-glove</a> with Facebook and Twitter to censor conservatives under the guise of fighting “disinformation.”
“I don’t think people actually recognize what’s happening because we talk about liberties and freedom of speech. They think that that can only be taken away by the federal government,” Carson responded. “But the fact of the matter is Big Tech and the media take it away with a complicit government is exactly the same effect. And that’s what we have to make sure people understand.”
The extraordinary gathering took place in mid-2021, after Trump had been deplatformed by social media giants, continued to face unrelenting scorn from the legacy media, and battled accusations from top Democrats that he sparked the January 6 Capitol riot. The massive effort to silence and marginalize the 45th president makes the film’s insight into his mindset all the more compelling.
“If you do something spectacular, they don’t talk about it. If you do something not so good, they’ll make it into a travesty. If the other side does something bad, really bad, you will never see it,” Trump added. “You will never find it &#8230; they erase it, they cancel it. And there’s never been a period of time like that in our country’s history. There’s never been. And that’s the way communism starts. And that’s where communism goes. And we can’t let it happen. We’re not going to let it happen.”
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="My Dinner with Trump | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/99oTlayKdMI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Greg Wilson contributed to this report.

Donald Trump

‘We Can’t Let It Happen’: Trump Warns Inner Circle Of Free Speech Erosion In New Documentary

Trump Warns Inner Circle Of Free Speech Erosion In New Documentary

Ben Carson

DailyWire+

Legacy Media

Politics

Ousted Levi&#8217;s executive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Sey</a> ripped the &#8220;Left&#8217;s betrayal&#8221; of their ostensible values as &#8220;shocking and upsetting.&#8221;
After more than 20 years at Levi Strauss &amp; Co., the well-liked liberal executive was on track to become CEO of the multi-billion-dollar corporation &#8212; but her refusal to shut up about COVID madness, specifically the policies of school lockdowns, led to her ouster.
&#8220;I will say that the Left’s betrayal of what I thought were core principles – free speech, right to an education, right to bodily autonomy, equal treatment under the law, due process – has been shocking and upsetting,&#8221; the “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Levis-Unbuttoned-Woke-Took-Voice/dp/1958682241/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2J10UL2DS4PJN&amp;keywords=Jennifer+sey&amp;qid=1667250452&amp;qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjAxIiwicXNhIjoiMS44OCIsInFzcCI6IjEuODkifQ%3D%3D&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=jennifer+sey%2Cstripbooks%2C85&amp;sr=1-1">Levi’s Unbuttoned: The Woke Mob Took My Job But Gave Me My Voice</a>” author told The Daily Wire in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two</a>&#8211;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part</a> exclusive interview over the weekend.
An early opponent of lockdown policy, Sey explained that she found her &#8220;main cohort&#8221; at the beginning of her activism &#8220;to be angry moms across the country, fighting for normalcy for their kids &#8212; they were from all political backgrounds.&#8221;
Asked about the political Right, Sey, though not a conservative herself, applauded a willingness to engage and genuine tolerance.
&#8220;My experience has been that the right-wing media has been willing to engage with me and to respect my outspokenness, despite the fact that they know we might disagree on other issues,&#8221; she said. 
&#8220;I’ve found the people I’ve gotten to know on the Right – friends now &#8211; to be tolerant and accepting of my views that differ from theirs,&#8221; Sey continued. &#8220;They don’t assume that if we disagree on some things, that makes me a terrible person. I’ve had intense and very interesting conversations on the issue of abortion/choice, for instance. Always respectful.&#8221;
&#8220;While, what I have gotten from the Left, including friends and former colleagues has been: you’re racist, anti-trans, fat-phobic, anti-everything,&#8221; the author said. &#8220;Oh, and a liar and a grifter and a fascist &#8212; all because of open-schools advocacy, and thinking it’s cruel and ineffective to mask toddlers.&#8221; 
&#8220;Ultimately, I’m willing to talk to almost anyone who is willing to discuss these issues – how children have been harmed and what we are going to do about it; the illiberalism taking over America’s institutions – namely censorship and lack of due process; the general denial of reality, like how it was always obvious school closures and lockdowns were harmful,&#8221; Sey added. 
As for her politics now, Sey identifies as &#8220;unaffiliated,&#8221; a person who&#8217;s &#8220;in favor of communication, compromise and common sense&#8221; and &#8220;for individual rights and liberties.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ll vote based on supporting kids/families, and sanity,&#8221; the former exec told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Lockdowns were insanity, and authoritarian. Talk about a threat to democracy. It’s governors assuming emergency powers and locking down citizens – telling us we can’t leave our homes, while they do whatever they want – that scares me. And mayors mandating vaccines to participate in society. I won’t vote for anyone who even vaguely supports that.&#8221; 
To access the full interview, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Part One</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Part Two</a>, become a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe-plus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire+ member here</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/levis-pushed-her-out-when-she-spoke-up-against-covid-madness-but-jennifer-sey-isnt-done-talking-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Levi’s Pushed Her Out When She Spoke Up Against COVID Madness, But Jennifer Sey Isn’t Done Talking (Part 1)</a>

Cannes Lions Festival 2018: Day 4

Top Levi’s Exec Ousted Over Anti-Lockdown Speech Rips The ‘Left’s Betrayal’

Top Levi’s Exec Jennifer Sey, Ousted Over Anti-Lockdown Activism, Rips The ‘Left’s Betrayal’

Levi's

Social Issues

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/samuel-alito" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samuel Alito</a> recently discussed the reality of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/free-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free speech</a> on college campuses and law schools, pointing to the disturbing culture surrounding the lack of free dialogue. 
During a discussion at the Heritage Foundation, Alito was <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/supreme-court/justice-alito-takes-direct-aim-at-law-schools-for-abysmal-and-dangerous-free-speech-climate-as-conservative-judges-boycott-his-alma-mater/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> about the situation on college campuses, as well as law schools, regarding freedom of speech. He said it is “pretty abysmal,” “disgraceful,” and “really dangerous for our future as a united, democratic country.”
“We depend on freedom of speech,” Alito said. “Colleges and universities should be setting the example, and law schools should be setting the example for the university because our adversary system is based on the principle that the best way to get at the truth is to have a strong presentation of opposing views. So, law schools should be free to speak their minds without worrying about the consequences, and they should have their ideas tested in rational debating.”
He pointed to different reports about law school campuses, as well as discussions he has held with students, where free speech has been an issue but was not specific about which schools to which he was referring. 
Alito <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-courts-alito-calls-law-school-free-speech-abysmal-2022-10-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> &#8220;based on what I have read and what has been told to me by students,&#8221; some law schools are &#8220;really not carrying out their responsibility&#8221; to safeguard the speech of students and &#8220;have their ideas tested in rational debating.”
Alito went on to discuss his beliefs about different types of speech when asked about “protected and unprotected speech.”
He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRqIcXPmKw&amp;t=2820s&amp;ab_channel=TheHeritageFoundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Justices he has disagreed with in the past generally agree with him about the importance of free speech. 
“The real test, as Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, is whether we’re willing to protect the speech that we hate,” he said. 
“Any speech involving public interests, involving politics, government, history, economics, law, science, religion, philosophy, the arts — anything of that level of importance — the general rule has to be the government has to stay out,” he said, adding that the First Amendment doesn’t safeguard “the right of anybody to say anything they want” whenever they feel like it.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-alito-says-leaked-draft-opinion-overruling-roe-v-wade-made-majority-targets-for-assassination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Alito also said that the leaked draft majority opinion to get rid of Roe v. Wade risked the lives of some of the Justices. 
“The leak also made those of us who were thought to be in the majority in support of overruling Roe and Casey targets for assassination because it gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us,” Alito said.
Last month, U.S. Circuit Judge James Ho said that judges shouldn’t hire Yale law students due to the “cancel culture” at the school. He discussed an incident that happened in March when Yale students interrupted a discussion with an attorney who defended a Colorado baker who wouldn’t bake a cake for a homosexual wedding. Ho <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/10/21/free-speech-concerns-prompt-calls-shun-yale-law-grads" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> out that the students hadn’t been punished for their actions, which meant “Yale not only tolerates the cancellation of views—it practices it.”
U.S. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Branch joined the decision not to hire Yale students earlier this month.

6C4EBAC9-9660-4E09-80FC-69D6A5A2CA45_1_201_a

Justice Alito Discusses ‘Pretty Abysmal,’ ‘Disgraceful’ Free Speech Situation At Colleges, Law Schools

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Discusses ‘Pretty Abysmal,’ ‘Disgraceful’ Free Speech Situation At Colleges, Law Schools

College

Education

Samuel Alito

Supreme Court

Social media users are circulating incorrect reports which claim that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PayPal</a> brought back a retracted attempt to sanction users $2,500 for spreading “misinformation” through the platform, as highlighted by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-paypal-policy-lets-company-pull-2500-from-users-accounts-if-they-promote-misinformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Daily Wire.
PayPal, which has deplatformed multiple organizations and commentators for their political views, had released an upcoming change to its acceptable use policy that would have banned the promotion of “misinformation,” as well as “hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory.” Within one day of The Daily Wire reporting on the policy change, PayPal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/paypal-reverses-plan-to-fine-users-2500-for-misinformation-after-daily-wire-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the guidelines were published “in error.”
Citing a provision in the PayPal user agreement, <a href="https://gritdaily.com/pr-crisis-paypal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple</a> <a href="https://beckernews.com/fact-checkers-called-it-misinformation-but-paypal-sneaked-2500-fines-on-users-back-into-its-terms-of-service-47639/">reports</a> <a href="https://www.latestly.com/socially/world/icymi-paypal-has-reinstated-its-2500-fine-for-misinformation-latest-tweet-by-disclose-tv-4383722.html">claimed</a> that the policy has been quietly reinstated. However, neither the user agreement nor the acceptable use policy has been amended to include the nixed provisions, according to a review of internet archives conducted by The Daily Wire, which also confirmed the findings with a PayPal spokesperson.
The present <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">user agreement</a> had already enumerated that $2,500 sanctions can be applied to accounts found in violation of the <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/acceptableuse-full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acceptable use policy</a>. The company says that the amount is a “reasonable minimum estimate” for actual damages induced by internal administrative costs to monitor violations, damage to brand reputation, and penalties from business partners.
The acceptable use policy currently bans users from using PayPal for activities which involve various legal infractions, such as infringement of trademarks, sale of narcotics or stolen goods, and certain types of weapons. However, PayPal also retains the “sole discretion” to take action against “items that are considered obscene,” certain “firearm parts or accessories,” or “the promotion of hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory.”
Meanwhile, the user agreement lists the spreading of “false, inaccurate or misleading information” as a restricted activity and has done so for at least <a href="https://archive.ph/ZySjp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eight years</a>. Those who conduct their business in a manner that results in or could result in “complaints” may also incur the $2,500 penalty.
Beyond denying that the misinformation penalty was ever meant to be enforced, PayPal justified the move by noting that the company has long withdrawn $2,500 from users’ accounts after each violation of the acceptable use policy. After seven members of the Senate noted in a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senators-confront-paypal-on-misinformation-policy-highlighted-by-daily-wire-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to PayPal CEO Dan Schulman that the current list of prohibited activities largely entails breaches of law, they added that “a vague prohibition on spreading ‘misinformation’ not only would have concerningly expanded the scope of punishable actions, but also would have decreased clarity and increased subjectivity” within the prohibited activities list.
PayPal trended on social media after the new acceptable use policy gained nationwide attention earlier this month, leading thousands of customers to express their disdain for the move and cancel their accounts. The company’s stock price <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-paypal-stock-plummets-after-daily-wire-report-exposes-shocking-misinformation-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fell precipitously</a> in trading as the unease among consumers appeared to startle investors.
Other platforms, such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-conservative-books-amazon-quietly-bans-books-they-deem-offensive-hate-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/allie-beth-stuckey-suspended-from-twitter-after-challenging-fox-news-segment-that-went-viral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-doubles-down-after-zuckerberg-reveals-how-facebook-censored-hunter-biden-laptop-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook,</a> have sanctioned conservatives over their positions on controversial social issues, including transgenderism, vaccine mandates, and homosexuality. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-gofundmes-trucker-convoy-targeting-says-about-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> seized millions raised for trucker protests in Canada earlier this year, while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-happy-about-getting-google-to-suppress-crisis-pregnancy-centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a> recently began suppressing search results for crisis pregnancy centers.

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No, PayPal Didn’t Bring Back Its $2,500 Misinformation Penalty, But They Still May Fine You For Other Concerning Reasons

PayPal Did Not Resurrect $2,500 Misinformation Penalty

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