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Congressman Jim Jordan demands Stanford University comes clean on role in censoring speech

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) is not backing down in his pursuit of answers from Stanford University regarding its Internet Observatory program’s involvement in flagging and censoring online content. Stanford has been reluctant to comply with subpoenas involving these actions. With national debate growing around free speech and the First Amendment, an investigation into the influence of Big Tech and institutions on political opinions and the spread of so-called “misinformation” becomes crucial.

In a recent letter, Jordan informed Stanford’s legal representatives that their compliance in providing information on the role of the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO)’s involvement in suppressing “disfavored speech” is insufficient. Stanford previously had the opportunity to comply in April, but now faces a new deadline of June 14 before enforcement mechanisms will be considered. These methods might include criminal or civil enforcement, or even “inherent contempt.”

SIO’s founding in 2019 saw the development of the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) and the Virality Project (VP). The projects gained attention from Republicans who questioned their roles in working alongside the federal government to censor speech, deeming some content as misinformation even when true. This included allegations against individuals concerned about the 2022 election’s legitimacy and those questioning the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness.

Jordan hints that SIO played a significant part in tracking flagged content. By utilizing the Jira ticketing system, narratives and posts were monitored and shared with various social media platforms. Furthermore, evidence suggests that moderation by social media platforms was directly influenced by Stanford personnel’s shared information.

An earlier testimony by journalist Michael Shellenberger accused the EIP of being the “seed of the censorship industrial complex” which in effect, created blacklists of people for expressing disfavored opinions. In addition to EIP’s actions, the Virality Project also focused on censoring COVID-19 information.

With conservatives feeling targeted, it is vital to hold Big Tech accountable and ensure it reflects the First Amendment’s values. To help support the call for transparency and prevent biased censorship, the public must contact their representatives and also report any personal censorship experiences to the Media Research Center.

In conclusion, it is time for Big Tech to be held accountable, and institutions must come clean about their role in shaping the current discourse. Congressman Jim Jordan’s persistence in investigating Stanford’s involvement may soon bring some much-needed transparency to the issue.

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