The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is rarely, if ever, on the side of conservatives. In fact, they usually favor Democrats' policies and decisions. But now the civil rights organization is speaking out about Big Tech's decision to permanently ban President Donald Trump from their platforms.
According to the ACLU, Americans should be concerned about the "unchecked power" that social media platforms have.
"For months, President Trump has been using social media platforms to seed doubt about the results of the election and to undermine the will of voters," ACLU Senior Legal Counsel Kate Ruane said in a statement. "We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions – especially when political realities make those decisions easier."
The organization reminded followers and supporters that the same thing could happen to them.
"President Trump can turn his press team or Fox News to communicate with the public, but others – like many Black, Brown, and LGTBQ activists who have been censored by social media companies – will not have that luxury. It is our hope that these companies will apply their rules transparently to everyone," the statement concluded.
Conservatives have been concerned about Big Tech censorship for years. It's something we've all talked about in depth, especially with debates over Section 230 protection.
It's a breath of fresh air to see a left-leaning organization admit that what happened to President Trump and other conservatives could happen to anyone else. We never get that kind of admission from left-leaning figures. They know they're safe because their friends in Silicon Valley share their political views.
Free speech and a free press are important aspects of our society. Having a tech company decide who should and should not be allowed on their platforms – including the leader of the free world – is a dangerous thing. Yes, they're a private company and they have a right to do what they think is best. But maybe it's time to address the elephant in the room and admit that stifling content that goes against their narrative isn't healthy and only causes further division. And the only ones who can address this issue, in full, is Congress.