If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Google on Trial: Ads, Algorithms, and Antitrust – Week 2 Breakdown appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined those currently publicly pressuring companies behind social media platforms and encrypted messages – they have identified 11 of the most widely used ones – to make sure they “combat election disinformation.” Specifically, four Democrats (the letter was also signed by Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren) want to know what these companies’ censorship plans are: the senators phrase it as the need to discover what measures will be taken to “de-amplify” (and that includes removal) content and accounts seen as spreading the said type of disinformation. We obtained a copy of the letter for you here. How will the tech companies know this is happening on their platforms? They will, the senators write if that content or accounts violate their policies. (That is, those same vague and restrictive policies that have been used and abused over the years.) As far as Wyden and Merkley and others are concerned, it doesn’t matter if this content they consider to be election disinformation is AI-generated or not. On the encrypted chat apps front, they want the companies operating them to “explain whether they have a reporting system for their users to flag unwanted election disinformation and what enforcement measures are in place.” To cover all this the way the senators see fit, the companies and their platforms – Meta, Google (YouTube), TikTok, X, Reddit, Snapchat, Amazon (Twitch), Discord, Signal, Telegram, and Apple (Messages) – are urged to “increase resources” needed to fight what the US lawmakers describe in terms presented as a national-level crisis. They warn that disinformation that is allegedly now more present than ever could suppress voter participation, but also “sow doubt in US democracy and incite political violence.” The many times repeated references are made in the senators’ letter about alleged foreign disinformation campaigns during the 2020 and 2022 elections in the US, and a note is made that this “disinformation” would at that time remain online longer if it was in Spanish. Essentially, what Wyden and Merkley now want from the tech giants – but also companies like Signal, that bill themselves as the ultimate privacy-friendly choice – is a report, to keep them on the straight and narrow, at least the way that is perceived by four Democrat senators at the height of a presidential campaign. “Share information about the size and capacity of their 2024 US elections safety resourcing – including personnel and technologies – broken down by language,” is the opening demand aimed at social platforms. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Democrat Senators Urge Platforms To Share Plans for Addressing “Disinformation” (Even Inside Encrypted Apps) appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Hey, Knuckle-Draggers! The Trump Economy Sucked - You Just Forgot

Gallup: Political Terrain Heavily Favors Republicans

Big Tech platforms X and Telegram are the latest targets of anti-free speech campaigns by governments consumed with making George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 a reality.  After owner Elon Musk and X executives declared for weeks that X would not agree to censor Brazilian dissident accounts or pay fines, the company has reportedly agreed to these measures to avoid a ban from Brazil’s radical Supreme Court. Telegram is likewise reportedly being coerced to share user data by the French government. The New York Times reported Saturday that X’s lawyers affirmed X agreed to censor accounts considered objectionable by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. X will also pay the fines De Moraes requested and appoint a new legal representative in Brazil, the outlet stated. The Times added that the Brazilian Supreme Court affirmed X’s new decision in a new court filing. In Europe, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was recently arrested in France, allegedly for not censoring content deemed “illegal” under European Union laws on the encrypted app. Barron’s magazine reported Sept. 23 that Durov had since affirmed Telegram had removed “problematic content” and updated its terms of service and privacy policy. The update reportedly clarifies that Telegram will share details, including phone numbers and IP addresses, from violative users with government authorities if supposedly “valid legal requests” are made. “‘We won't let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users,’” Durov reportedly stated.  In effect, both X and Telegram appear to be victims of government censorship crackdowns. Musk had previously argued that the new demands from De Moraes actually violated Brazil’s laws and thus could not be complied with. “We do follow the laws in the countries within which we operate. The problem in Brazil is that we were ordered to break the law by ‘the law’ with a gag order that we couldn’t tell anyone about it,” Musk posted Sept. 1. Musk also posted in August, “The decision to close the ? office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed.” X Global Government Affairs agreed, “The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We simply won’t do that.” [Emphasis added.] Now, however, both Durov’s Telegram and Musk’s X are planning to comply with Brazil and France’s demands, in yet another totalitarian blow to online free speech. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

The liberal ladies of ABC’s The View are supposed to be all about promoting and sticking up for their fellow women, but their support has proven largely to fall along party lines. Much was the case on Tuesday’s episode as they helped far-left Vanderbilt University professor and prolific race-baiter Michael Eric Dyson defend sending Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC) unsolicited, flirty text messages, and suggest she was a racist in the process. On the show to promote his new far-left book, faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin played a soundbite of a confrontation on CNN between Dyson and Mace where the former suggested that latter was a racist for mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris’s name. Farah Griffin then decried Mace for going public with unsolicited and flirty messages Dyson sent Mace talking about her looks. “So, because we live in the crazy year of 2024, she then later accused you of sending her flirty texts which she entered into the congressional record. Can you clear this up for us, professor?” she teed up her guest to defend himself with no criticism or push back. “Let's look at a little background. I'm a preacher so I know sin. My own and others. Right? Nobody’s perfect,” Dyson proclaimed with an unearned righteousness. “I saw Whoopi yesterday talk about the fact in regard to Janet Jackson, people make mistakes and we have to acknowledge that.” Dyson proceeded to argue that the messages he sent about her looks were totally fine because they’re “peers” and there was no “power imbalance”: Number two as a professor, I've seen things evolve over space and time. What you could say 20 years ago can't say today, not because you're suddenly wrong but the temper of the times has changed. So, if you acknowledge a woman's beauty, then there’s a power imbalance, there is a problem there. But peer-to-peer, a different story. Still cautious, but different.     “Then thirdly, let’s look at the politics. We're living in a toxic culture where there’s a cancel culture gotcha. We’re not trying to elevate, we’re trying to eviscerate,” he whined. In a nasty and condescending tone, he said: “So, when it comes to Nancy Mace, you see, I tried to be nice the woman. I said you're a wonderful woman, I lied.” Later adding: “I wasn't flirting with you. I was trying to be flattering to you.” Despite the fact that Dyson’s comments on CNN alluded to the insult that she was a racist, Farah Griffin claimed he didn’t suggest such a thing, and he proceeded to compare her to a dog: DYSON: I then said – but – but I tried to be nice to her. And then even when I pointed out to her what the repetition of the misnaming of Kamala Harris would do, she got defensive, ‘oh, you're calling me a racist.’ No! FARAH GRIFFIN: And you never did. I was watching. DYSON: I never did. I think Shakespeare said ‘the lady doth too much’ or in the hood, we say, ‘a hit dog will holler. None of The View ladies shared how they would feel getting such messages. Unironically, he followed up by once again suggesting Mace was a racist, this time getting agreement from moderator Whoopi Goldberg: DYSON: So, the point is, that – that this woman has now depended upon – like her inspiration Donald Trump – a racist trope, the black brute seeks the innocent white woman – WHOPPI GOLDBERG: That’s right! That’s right! DYSON: -- and now I'm seeking lasciviously to approach her. I didn't call her names and acknowledged her humanity.   Sunny Hostin, who's a the descendant of particularly brutal and staunch slaveowners, tees up Dyson to call for preparations, which Hostin has previously proclaimed she's entitled to. pic.twitter.com/tBGBbK1lIZ — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 24, 2024   Goldberg is a hypocrite on this issue of pronouncing names correctly and it being a matter of respecting someone’s humanity. She refuses to say former President Trump’s name and spits on the floor when she slips up. She’s even attacked his grandchild and demanded he not be humanized. Further in the interview, staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin – who’s the descendant of slave owners, yet claims she’s entitled to reparations – teed up Dyson to call for reparations (Click “expand”): HOSTIN: Do things seen, in your view, particularly unfinished at this moment. DYSON: That’s a great point. Yes, yes, they do, because we fought time and again after reconstruction, after 12 years of progress, the white backlash was vicious. HOSTIN: Yeah. DYSON: And the only people at that time who got reparations were white slave owners who complained that they were now without their black help. HOSTIN: Property. As further evidence of how degenerate the purported “Christian minister” was, here’s how he described the debate between Harris and Trump: “I ain't seen no Haitians eating no dogs and cats, but I saw a black woman eating a white ass on television!” The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View September 24, 2024 11:39:52 a.m. Eastern (…) [Video from CNN] MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: That's the history and legacy of white disregard for the humanity of black people. REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): So, now you're calling me a racist? DYSON: I didn’t say that. MACE: That’s BS. That’s complete BS. [Transition] MACE: Kamala Harris – [Entire CNN panel jumps down her throat for mispronouncing “Kamala”] [Crosstalk] [Cuts back to live] ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: So, because we live in the crazy year of 2024, she then later accused you of sending her flirty texts which she entered into the congressional record. Can you clear this up for us, professor? DYSON: Absolutely. Well, first of all, it’s great to be here with you wonderful women. The thing is, is that – Let's look at a little background. I'm a preacher so I know sin. My own and others. Right? Nobody’s perfect. I saw Whoopi yesterday talk about the fact in regard to Janet Jackson, people make mistakes and we have to acknowledge that. Number two as a professor, I've seen things evolve over space and time. What you could say 20 years ago can't say today, not because you're suddenly wrong but the temper of the times has changed. So, if you acknowledge a woman's beauty, then there’s a power imbalance, there is a problem there. But peer-to-peer, a different story. Still cautious, but different. Then thirdly, let’s look at the politics. We're living in a toxic culture where there’s a cancel culture gotcha. We’re not trying to elevate, we’re trying to eviscerate. So, when it comes to Nancy Mace, you see, I tried to be nice the woman. [Laughter] I said you're a wonderful woman, I lied. [Laughter] I then said – but – but I tried to be nice to her. And then even when I pointed out to her what the repetition of the misnaming of Kamala Harris would do, she got defensive, ‘oh, you're calling me a racist.’ No! FARAH GRIFFIN: And you never did. I was watching. DYSON: I never did. I think Shakespeare said ‘the lady doth too much’ or in the hood, we say, ‘a hit dog will holler. [Laughter] So, the point is, that – that this woman has now depended upon – like her inspiration Donald Trump – a racist trope, the black brute seeks the innocent white woman – WHOPPI GOLDBERG: That’s right! That’s right! DYSON: -- and now I'm seeking lasciviously to approach her. I didn't call her names and acknowledged her humanity. (…) 11:45:27 a.m. Eastern DYSON: I think that he [GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson (NC)] needs to debate Kamala Harris. I ain't seen no Haitians eating no dogs and cats, but I saw a black woman eating a white ass on television! (…) 11:50:34 a.m. Eastern SUNNY HOSTIN: Do things seen, in your view, particularly unfinished at this moment. DYSON: That’s a great point. Yes, yes, they do, because we fought time and again after reconstruction, after 12 years of progress, the white backlash was vicious. HOSTIN: Yeah. DYSON: And the only people at that time who got reparations were white slave owners who complained that they were now without their black help. HOSTIN: Property. DYSON: So now, you know, they denied us the right to vote. And not just black people. We talk -- In this book, we talk about women, we talk about Latinas, we talk about Asian brothers and sisters. We talk across the board. Which is why, again, when I said white Christians I meant white evangelical Christians, I’m not talking about all – I'm a Christian minister myself. So, I ain't hatin’. And this is why I try to extend a compliment to Nancy Mace. I wasn't flirting with you. I was trying to be flattering to you. (…)

A homeless male wearing a blonde wig, makeup, and pearls is accused of attempting to kidnap an 11-year-old boy outside of his Ohio home. According to the Alliance Police Department, 39-year-old Joshua Freyermuth was arrested Sunday for attempting to kidnap the boy that same day. 'He kicked his heels off — my son said he had white high heels on — and then he took off running down the street.' Freyermuth allegedly approached the child while he was outside his home in Alliance — roughly 30 miles southeast of Akron. Freyermuth — who also goes by the name Vicky, according to the Daily Mail — was accused of attempting to lure the boy away from his property. The police report stated that Freyermuth told the child, “I need to talk to you.” WOIO-TV reported that the child refused, and Freyermuth attempted to grab the boy on South Webb Avenue. The alleged victim said he was able to get away because the family's dog attacked the suspect. "When he grabbed my son's arm, my dog attacked him, and then he stumbled back off the stairs," the child's father, Zachery Thurmond, told WOIO. "He kicked his heels off — my son said he had white high heels on — and then he took off running down the street." The father said he chased after the male. Alliance police said they had enough evidence to make an arrest. Police also noted that there has been quite a reaction on social media. An Alliance police spokesperson said Freyermuth's arrest is "probably just as well for his safety" because of the number of people "who have decided they want to take this into their own hands." However, Freyermuth has denied the allegations.Still wearing his blonde wig during his arraignment Monday in Alliance Municipal Court on attempted kidnapping charges, Freyermuth told the judge, “I wasn’t even there. I didn’t try to kidnap anybody.” The suspect said he has an alibi and that he was at a friend's house when the alleged attempted child abduction was said to have occurred. Freyermuth's bond was set at $100,000, and he has been ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim. Freyermuth also was arrested Friday on drug possession charges after police said they found methamphetamine in his car. Police said they pulled Freyermuth over after they received reports of a suspect driving around trying to speak to children, according to the New York Post. Freyermuth's mugshot for that arrest shows him wearing a different wig, and he was released on bond for that charge. Image source: Stark County (Ohio) Jail Police are still investigating the alleged incident.Like Blaze News? Circumvent the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The son of Ryan Routh has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography, according to charging documents. Charging documents said that police were searching the man's home in Guilford County, North Carolina, on Saturday when they discovered child pornography. 'I hate this game every four years, and think that we all do.' "A review of the SD card located in Device-1 revealed that it contained hundreds of child pornography files," said prosecutors. "These files include videos from a known child pornography series created outside the state of North Carolina." Oran Alexander Routh is charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Investigators said the images were found on a Samsung Galaxy Note device in the man's primary bedroom as well as another Galaxy Note device. Prosecutors said they were able to obtain evidence of a conversation in which Oran Routh sought to purchase child pornography. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Carolina confirmed to CBS News that officials were investigating the alleged assassination attempt on Trump's life when they were searching the home of Oran Routh. Oran Routh had justified the actions of his father in an interview after Ryan Routh was arrested for allegedly trying to kill Trump from outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I hate this game every four years, and think that we all do, and if my father wants to be a martyr to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that’s his choice,” he reportedly texted to the Daily Mail when asked about his father's arrest. On Monday, the former president demanded that the investigation into the second alleged assassination attempt be handed off to Florida state officials after accusing the Biden-Harris administration of downplaying the incident. Ryan Routh was initially charged with gun crimes, but prosecutors said they intend to charge him with attempted assassination, which would carry a possible sentence of life in prison. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

California school districts will be forced to limit or prohibit cell phone use in public schools after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, along with many others, into law.The bill, AB 3216, was approved by a bipartisan vote after being authored by Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover.The bill states that schools must "adopt a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a school site or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school."School districts must develop and adopt their new rules by July 1, 2026, and update their policy every five years.'These devices in a child's everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide.'There are limitations to the bill that allow exceptions, or "special circumstances," under which a student may not be prohibited from having a smartphone."We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues — but we have the power to intervene," Newsom said, per the Sacramento Bee. "This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they're in school," the governor added.Bill author Hoover thanked Newsom for the "major victory" for the mental well-being of children, along with the hope of improving academics."Research continues to demonstrate the potential harms of smartphone use among children," the Republican claimed. "The growing use of these devices in a child's everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide."Democrat state Sen. Angelique Ashby opposed the bill over concerns that children would not have access to their phones during an emergency, such as a school shooting. However, the law does indeed grant exceptions for emergencies.Phones can also be allowed as part of a student's specific learning plan, likely for special needs.A trend in phone bans has increased in several states and private schools across the country. States with outright bans on smartphones in public schools include: Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.Newsom's flurry of bill signings has also come with scrutiny, particularly surrounding the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024.The new law has been accused of being too harsh on content creators who make memes or obvious parodies using artificial intelligence.California is even facing a lawsuit from content creator Mr. Reagan, whose real name is Christopher Kohls. Kohls posted an AI-manipulated parody video about the Kamala Harris campaign in July. His lawsuit argues that California is "flagrantly" using state power to "force private social media companies to censor private citizens’ speech by purging election-related AI-generated content."The new law will require online platforms to develop reporting procedures for users to flag content that has been missed by the website, so that it can be taken down if not in accordance with the law.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Since Deion Sanders took over the head coaching position for the Buffaloes football program at the University of Colorado Boulder, Jason Whitlock has been unapologetically critical of the toxic culture that’s ensued as a result of Sanders’ ineffective leadership. Now that football season is back in full swing, Jason is ready to analyze the coach’s every move, starting with the team's lucky overtime victory against the Baylor Bears last Saturday. “They know they should have lost,” he says, adding that the win is nothing to be proud of since “Baylor’s not any good.” - YouTube www.youtube.com According to Jason, the only reason the Buffaloes won is because “the other coach handed [them] the game with one of the worst defensive calls in the history of football.” “You leave three guys one-on-one on the final play of the game?! It's the dumbest thing I've ever seen,” he says. As for the Buffaloes, Jason says their performance is “exactly what we saw last year.” “Do you remember when they beat Colorado State to get to their 3 and 0 start? They got lucky! ... It’s the exact same thing all over again,” he says pointing to the team’s unfortunate predicament — they “have no right tackle,” “their guards are just OK,” and “their freshman holding tackle ... the all-American five-star kid that they thought would fix everything” is floundering. That’s not to say that the Buffaloes did nothing right, however. Jason does give some credit where it’s due. “Hats off to them for diversifying their offense,” he says. “They did switch up some formation stuff and gave [quarterback Shedeur Sanders] some different looks.” “But at the end of the day, this was about an idiot head coach at Baylor lining up in the wrong defense,” he says. To make matters worse for Baylor, apparently the head coach, Dave Aranda, threw "a kid on the team way under the bus rather than taking responsibility for calling the wrong defense.” “It's one of the worst coaching performances in game and after game that I've ever seen,” says Jason. And as for Deion, he’s still “a clown” in Jason’s eyes. “His team hasn't really improved. I don't see him winning more than five or six games this year,” he sighs. Besides the fact that Sanders is still the coach, another reason Jason doesn’t see the team improving this season has to do with the other main leader on the team — Sanders’ son and the quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Last week, “People called out Shedeur for not shaking the hand of the Colorado State quarterback after the game,” and, unfortunately, Deion defended the behavior. “The week before, he walked off the field with two minutes on the clock.” “Shedeur is a reflection of Deion. Deion has no class so his son has no class,” says Jason. “The foundational pieces aren't in place for Colorado to build something sustainable.” To hear more of Jason’s commentary and game analysis, watch the clip above. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.