Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced on Wednesday his intention to take aggressive action against major tech companies accused of censoring conservative media. Speaking on Newsmax, Cruz detailed his plan to expose what he describes as systematic efforts to suppress conservative voices across social media and online platforms. His approach, which includes a subpoena initiated through his Senate Commerce Committee, targets Bonterra, an online service provider accused of censoring conservative content, particularly with regard to the deplatforming of the Independent Women’s Forum.
“You start with exposure, because Big Tech often hides behind,” Cruz explained during his appearance on Carl Higbie: Frontline. “They deny that they’re doing anything, and they’re the custodians of all the information. So if someone is shadow-banned on old Twitter or on Facebook, they say, ‘Well, there’s no empirical evidence. There’s no data that shows this is happening.’ That’s because you have all the data. And so exposing it is the first step.”
Cruz emphasized the importance of leveraging the full might of the federal government to tackle the issue, asserting that there are multiple avenues to fight back. “There are lots of tools,” Cruz said, citing meetings with President Trump’s former FCC chairman and the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as officials from the Department of Justice. He expressed confidence that the administration would use antitrust laws and consumer protection laws to go after Big Tech’s censorship practices.
Under Cruz’s leadership, the Senate Commerce Committee plans to use its significant authority, including the power to issue subpoenas, to challenge Big Tech’s alleged censorship practices. Cruz pointed out that the committee has jurisdiction over 40% of the U.S. economy, which includes Big Tech companies. “Big Tech censorship is the single greatest threat to free speech in America and the single greatest threat to free and fair elections,” he stated.
Reflecting on the challenges faced during the first term of the Trump administration, Cruz expressed optimism for the current term. He recalled attempts to address Big Tech censorship during Trump’s first term, where internal resistance prevented substantial action. However, Cruz is hopeful that with the new administration, the necessary steps will be taken to address the issue. “I’m much more optimistic in this second term that they’re going to execute on what President Trump wants and what’s the right thing to do for the American people,” Cruz said.
Cruz’s efforts are aligned with broader concerns within conservative media, which have long voiced objections against systemic bias and censorship major tech platforms, especially under the previous administration, where White House officials were revealed to target accounts for deplatforming efforts. President Trump signed an executive order with the goal of addressing this issue, but the real world application remains to be seen.
With legal action looming and a clear strategy in place, Cruz is poised to lead the charge in ensuring that all Americans are able to make their voices heard in the digital space.
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