While children across America were going back to school, users across Big Tech platforms found themselves going back to digital jail for exercising their free speech online. Despite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizingfor previous election interference, his platforms are still censoring election-related information. In addition to censoring election-related information, Meta platforms make up three of the top five worst censorship cases for the month of August. Facebook censored content about the new Reagan movie, and Instagram censored information about the harmful nature of the transgender ideology. Google-owned YouTube, for its part, tried to suppress information about the UK’s crackdown on free speech, while X (formerly Twitter) censored an anti-grooming group’s comments on the drag queens at the Olympics. Below are the worst examples of censorship from August 2024 as recorded in MRC’s unique CensorTrack database. Meta-owned Facebook suppresses content about a biographical film on Republican President Ronald Reagan. Actor Dennis Quaid and the marketers for the film Reagan accusedFacebook of suppressing advertising and promotion before the film was released Aug. 30. Quaid, who plays Reagan in the movie, wrote in an email to Newsweek, “Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what's best for us to see and hear; only this time it's throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan.” The film’s digital marketing director Eric McClellan also sent a letter to Zuckerberg reportedly citing “numerous problems” when trying to advertise Reagan on the Meta-owned platform. According to McClellan, the most “egregious” example of censorship was when Facebook prevented a post showing Quaid, the title of the film and a Reagan quote from being displayed. The platform also reportedly issued temporary suspensions to the movie’s Facebook page over clips of Quaid discussing the movie, asserting the content “mentions politicians or is about sensitive issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation.” Facebook targets election-related information as 2024 Election Day approaches. Judicial Watch posted on Facebook, “BREAKING: Judicial Watch received an Excel spreadsheet of names and other data from the District of Columbia Board of Elections revealing that 113 non-citizens voted in the June '2024 Presidential Primary.’” The post added a quote from Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton and included an article link: “Judicial Watch: 113 Noncitizens Voted in DC Presidential Primary.” Facebook imposed a fact-check label claiming, “Missing context. Independent fact-checkers say this information could mislead people.” The label linked to a LeadStories article: “Fact Check: 113 Non-Citizens Did NOT Vote For President In DC June ‘2024 Presidential Primary.’” Users trying to share the post were required to click through yet another warning label claiming the post was “missing context,” and even after selecting “share anyway” the fact check appeared on the shared post. YouTube censors conservative host Glenn Beck for interviewing journalist about illegal immigration. Blaze Media founder and nationally syndicated radio talk show host Glenn Beck interviewed independent journalist Tommy Robinson about the riots in the U.K., which Robinson said he has been accused of inciting. In the video, Robinson explained to Beck that his goal had been “peaceful protest, not violence” and that he is “terrified” of being accused of incitement. U.K. authorities are arresting individuals accused of inciting violence through online free speech. YouTube imposed a warning label on the interview that users must click through in order to view the video. The label asserts that the content “has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences.” Google-owned YouTube further turned offcomments and sharing for Beck’s interview, and prevented it from being suggested to other users. Below the video, YouTube wrote, “Certain features have been disabled for this video[.]” It continued, “In response to user reports, we have disabled some features, such as comments, sharing, and suggested videos, because this video contains content that may be inappropriate or offensive to some audiences.” Meta’s Instagram targets prominent detransitioner Chloe Cole. Cole, a detransition activist attempting to protect children from the left’s transgender ideology, shared a screenshot on her X account. The post shows an Instagram notice, which read: ”Take action or lose access to chooocole.” The notice further added that the “account has been suspended” because the “account, or activity on it, doesn't follow our Community Guidelines.” Instagram notified Cole that she could appeal the decision until Feb. 1, 2025, but “[i]f you don't take action, your account will be permanently disabled.” MRC Free Speech America verified that Cole's Instagram page was unavailable. Cole noted later that same day that Instagram restored her account, which MRC was also able to verify. X censors anti-child grooming organization for calling out drag queens in Olympic ceremony. Gays Against Groomers (GAG) posted about the Olympics featuring drag queens during the opening ceremony, “TRAs are claiming that the Olympics strip show was done ‘to promote positive LGBTQIA+ representation on a global scale.’ We disagree.” GAG included an image of the Olympic scene which apparently mocked the Last Supper by replacing the biblical figures with LGBTQ performers, captioning it, “GROOMERS” with the Olympics logo inserted as the “OO.” GAG subsequently shared screenshots showing how X imposed a “Visibility Limited” warning on its original post. The X label asserted “this Post may violate X's rules against Hateful Conduct.” GAG showed in another post that it had appealed the censorship, which X denied. GAG describes itself as “a nonprofit of gays, lesbians and others in the community against the sexualization, indoctrination and medicalization of children under the guise of LGBTQIA+,’” and it has been repeatedly censored by multiple online platforms, including Reddit, Instagram and Google. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment and provide an equal platform for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

ESPN's Andscape website made a hard push for racial identity politics to kick off the NFL season, focusing on the apparent importance of race among NFL quarterbacks.Andscape, an ESPN-owned site, is self-described as "a Black-led media platform" that is purposely pushing "the diverse stories of Black identity."It's about page also cites its stated goal of pursuing the "shared mission of illuminating the culture and experience of Blackness."To start the NFL regular season, Andscape lived up to its mantra and delivered overwhelmingly racially fueled content focusing on black NFL quarterbacks. The ESPN outlet declared that not only is the sport in the "era of the black quarterback" but that black quarterbacks need to work harder to get the same respect as white quarterbacks.'Quit writing about it, quit talking about it, quit shoving it in everyone's face.'Jason Whitlock of "Fearless" called out the strange reporting and declared that "the media is actually destroying sports," not the actual competitors. "It's the media.""They're doing a story, 'half of quarterbacks are black.' Black. Black. Black. The blackity blacks are doing blackity black," Whitlock hilariously continued. "No one cares!"Whitlock then downplayed the narrative that glass ceilings are continuously being broken."[They've] won Super Bowls, played in Super Bowls, inducted into the Hall of Fame, MVPs, first-round draft picks ... but ESPN and Andscape can't find anything else compelling to do than tell everybody 'hey half the quarterbacks in the NFL are black.' Black. Black."The host added that the angle being taken by ESPN diminishes the sport, their platform, and the accomplishments of the players. — (@) Whitlock recited the beginning of one of Andscape's two leading articles titled, "The Era of the Black Quarterback."The piece claimed that for years sportswriters contacted black quarterbacks for commentary whenever another black quarterback would accomplish a feat."Then, suddenly, reporters stopped calling," Whitlock mockingly read. "Quit writing about it, quit talking about it, quit shoving it in everyone's face," he continued.The "Fearless" commentator then assured ESPN that Americans, including black Americans, are not as obsessed with race as they are."They don't tune into sports thinking they are going to get a replay of 'Roots' and '12 Years a Slave,'" he said.Another leading article on the ESPN site included an interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts; the article mentioned his race nearly two dozen times.This included commentary on apparent unequal treatment of black quarterbacks, an alleged "black quarterback fraternity," and that black quarterbacks have inherently learned not to "remind the audience that [they're] black."In terms of any potential racial disparity, it doesn't actually seem like the NFL has any at the quarterback position. As of the start of the 2024 NFL season, 15 of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the league are black, while 16 are white. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is of Samoan descent.Fritz Pollard was the first black man to play in the NFL in 1920 and also the first coach in 1921.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Linda Sun is the former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and a former aide to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Now, she’s facing a federal indictment for allegedly operating as an undisclosed agent of the People’s Republic of China. Sun was arrested by the FBI at her $3.6 million home in Long Island on charges of being a foreign agent for the CCP. Federal prosecutors believe that she schemed to advance the interests of the CCP while working in the New York state government in exchange for millions of dollars, and are charging her with failing to register as a foreign agent, visa fraud, and alien smuggling. Her husband has also been charged in a money laundering conspiracy, which is reported to have afforded the pair their lavish lifestyle, complete with their extravagant Long Island home, a $1.9 million condo in Hawaii, and a 2024 Ferrari. “Being an agent of the CCP really pays, apparently,” Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” comments. Sun reportedly blocked Taiwan from accessing Governor Hochul, altered New York State messaging to be more favorable to the CCP, removed any references to Taiwan, and ensured that New York officials did not publicly address the CCP’s persecution of the Uyghurs. The CCP agent began her political career as chief of staff for New York State Assembly member Grace Meng, who is now a member of Congress. Meng’s father, Jimmy Meng, was the first Asian-American to be elected to the legislature in New York history. He was later arrested for wire fraud during an FBI sting investigation. “I’m just saying, if Linda Sun’s mentor was Grace Meng, whose father we already know was arrested for wire fraud,” Gonzales says. “It seems like all of these people are corrupt. Seems like maybe we should look into this woman who is now in Congress.” Sun was a part of the diversity initiative under Cuomo and made it clear she didn’t believe there were enough Asian-Americans working in the government. “I’m unsure how you can argue, how you can sit there and argue as an Asian person there isn’t enough representation in the government when you are literally Asian and you got your start working with Asians who were working in the government,” Gonzales comments. “Make that make sense,” she adds. Gonzales also notes that this isn’t the only time a Democrat has been outed as a Chinese spy, as Democrat Eric Swalwell was found to have had an affair with a Chinese spy. “Democrats have kind of a big Chinese spy problem,” Gonzales says. Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Pope Francis sparked criticism and comparisons with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance after commending Indonesians for continuing to have large families.The pope has been touring southeastern Asia this week and made a stop in the cathedral in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta on Wednesday to meet with outgoing President Joko Widodo and to address a crowd filled with nuns, clerics, lay Catholics, and others.In 2020, America averaged just 1.6 births per woman, down significantly from an average of 3.6 births in the 1950s.During his remarks, Pope Francis praised Indonesians for having families with "three, four, or five children." He called babies "the greatest richness that a nation can have" and slammed countries that effectively imposed "a law of death ... by limiting births."The pontiff also lightheartedly insisted that Indonesia could serve as an "example" to other countries around the world, where some "families prefer to have a cat or a little dog instead of a child."Pope Francis did not name any particular country that implicitly or overtly encourages pet ownership over parenting, though birth rates in Western countries have dropped sharply in recent decades. The United States, for instance, averaged just 1.6 births per woman in 2020, down significantly from an average of 3.6 births in the 1950s, the World Bank reported.Additionally, fully 62% of Americans own at least one pet, and more than half of those pet owners believe their pets are as much a part of the family as human members, according to a Pew Research Poll published last year.The pope has data on his side, but his comments nevertheless reminded some of the "childless cat ladies" comments previously made by Sen. Vance of Ohio.In 2021, Vance, who is Catholic, told then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the U.S. was under the control of Democrats, big corporations, and "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too," per NPR.In reporting on the pope's recent comments, The Hill published an article entitled "Pope Francis enters 'childless cat ladies' debate, praising Indonesians’ large families."Other, less prominent individuals have made similar remarks on social media, the Daily Mail reported. A quick X search indicates that some users have indeed linked Pope Francis and Vance over their respective comments regarding children and cats, though X posts on the subject have remained almost completely obscure, receiving little or no interaction from other users.The relevant clip of the pope's speech in Jakarta can be seen here.Wednesday was not the first time Pope Francis spoke out against declining birth rates. At a conference in Rome back in May, he said, "Homes are filled with objects and emptied of children, becoming very sad places. There is no shortage of little dogs, cats, these are not lacking. There is a lack of children."Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has also sounded the alarm about low birth rates. In April, he tweeted that "if birth rates continue to plummet, human civilization will end."Reuters noted that while Indonesian birth rates do surpass those of most Western countries, its birth rate is still declining.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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