As the New Year commences, people attempt pressing the reset button after unprecedented and even daunting events from 2020. Yet, the act of a ball dropping hasn’t altered much of the current political climate.

Not even integrated a full week into the new year, Americans tuned in on January 6 to see Capitol Hill being rioted. This coupled with former President Donald Trump’s tweets, which resulted in the deplatorformation of him, which consequently raised the question of how much power Big Tech has in regards to censorship. 

After the riots, Congress convened to confirm the votes of the election. This is an ordinary ceremonial process that occurs; senators were scheduled to take a stand for any qualms they had concerning allegations on voting irregularities.

Not soon after, at least 250 demonstrators were reported making their way, raiding through the Hill. Tear gas was deployed to protect congressmen and women.

Both parties took to social media to address their dismay about the event.

“Peaceful protest is the right of every American but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” former Vice President Mike Pence said on Twitter. 

Joe Biden called the riots on Capitol Hill as one of the “darkest days” in American history describing it as “an assault literally on the citadel of liberty.

Trump shortly thereafter released a video statement telling protestors to, “go home in peace.”

CEO’s of various platforms took action by censoring and suspending his accounts. This didnt come as a surprise to many as Twitter had been censoring Trump’s tweets in the months of October and November with fact checkers for the upcoming election process.

In 2020, social media platforms (i.e. Instagram/Twitter) introduced fact checkers.

 “In May of this year, we began working with third-party fact-checkers in the US to help identify, review, and label false information. These partners independently assess false information to help us catch it and reduce its distribution,” Instagram said in a statement. 

But this has left many critics asking who these third party fact-checkers are.

In result, CEO of Parler, John Matze created a social media platform for “free thinkers.” The app began gaining traction that summed up 5 million users.

This all came to a halt when Google, Amazon and Apple unified to remove Parler. This caused right-wingers feeling defeated to voice their opinions. Those in support of the censorship pose the question of why don’t you create your own platforms? Afterall private corporations can do as they please.

“Microsoft has billions that they pumped into Bing as an attempt for surpass Google and failed. If a Tech platform with that much money and resource can’t make it happen, what make you think we can,” said Political commentator Will Witt from PragerU.

The statistics of Bing ratings prove this to be true with Google reeling in on average 1.17 billion persons vs. just 267 million on Bings platform, Yahoo continues to rank higher than Bing.

Believe it or not, this isnt the first examining of the multi-deminsionaility of the First Amendment in pertains to the press/media. This came up in the second circuit Force v. Facebook where substantial damage claims against Facebook were made, saying that they had unlawfully assisted in Hamas by permitting posts that may have encouraged terror attacks that resulted in the deaths and injuries of Americans.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was given with the intent to incentivize technology platforms to screen out harmful and offensive content while providing a forum for true diversity of political discourse.

Media has become a primary vehicle for providing Americans with political information, their reports inevitably shape the way society thinks. Press has been proven to impact the public agenda and even public policy numerous times in American history.

Press coverage of 1950’s Civil Rights Movement put pressure on Congress to end segregation, similiary during the Vietnam War, press portrayed it as ill-fated, putting pressure on the Nixon Administraion to negotiate an end to bloodshed. 

Many claim that the American press has earned the nickname of the “fourth branch” assuming the position that of a watchdog.

Yet people are growing skepticism pertaining to media coverage news with “60% of Americans saying they don’t trust mainstream media.”

As well as a “Gallup poll finds 84% of Americans say media to blame for US political divide,” according to Fox News.

With all the questioning surrounding the application to First Amendment rights to Big Techs terms and conditions.

“I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” said French philosopher Voltaire.