Conservative groups urge Big Tech to avoid election interference

A coalition of over 30 conservative groups has issued a stern warning to major technology companies, urging them to refrain from interfering in the upcoming presidential election. The group, led by the Media Research Center's Free Speech Alliance, sent a letter to America's 50 largest tech firms on Thursday, highlighting concerns about potential censorship and bias, reports the Daily Wire.

The letter specifically references the controversial handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 election. "In the 2020 election, we saw tech platforms bamboozled into performing extreme acts of censorship after a coordinated pressure campaign from government officials," the coalition wrote.

According to the letter, social media platforms such as Twitter (now X) and Facebook (now Meta) suppressed the New York Post's reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop, actions that the coalition believes may have influenced the election outcome. The group noted that both companies have since apologized for their actions.

The coalition expressed concern about recent incidents suggesting ongoing bias. They cited Google's admission of search irregularities related to former President Donald Trump and alleged suppression of Trump's 2024 campaign website in search results. The letter also mentioned concerns about artificial intelligence models exhibiting ideological bias.

To address these issues, the conservative groups called on tech CEOs to resist pressure from the Biden administration and to be transparent about government requests for content moderation. They also asked companies to pledge never to censor political campaign websites or collaborate with what they term "for-profit censorship outfits."

"Our system of government and the ability for citizens to participate in it requires the unfettered, free flow of ideas," the letter stated, emphasizing the importance of free speech in the democratic process.

The call for tech neutrality comes as the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) announced its disbandment, signaling growing skepticism about the feasibility of using small activist groups or AI tools to determine the truthfulness of news articles.