>> Tucker: JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
>> Tucker: JUST A FEW YEARS AGO
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNIMAGINABLE
FOR MEDIA COMPANIES TO CENSOR
POLITICAL CANDIDATES IN ELECTION
YEARS NOW IT’S COMMONPLACE.
JUST THIS YEAR TWITTER HAS
CENSORED SEVERAL TWEETS FROM THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IN ONE INSTANCE TWITTER THE
COMPANY ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES OF GLORIFYING
VIOLENCE.
HIS CRIME?
HE PROMISED TO USE FORCE TO
RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW ON THE
STREETS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
TWITTER ALSO USED BOGUS FACT
CHECK TO MAIL IN BALLOT
SOMETHING A MASSIVE FRAUD RISK
WHICH IT IS THIS IS ANOTHER
EXAMPLE OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE
FAR MORE PROFOUND ANYTHING
RUSSIA EVER DID BY AMERICAN TECH
COMPANIES.
SO WHAT IS DOT FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT IT?
FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL TELL YOU
A LOT ABOUT RUSSIA AND THE
THREAT THEY POSE TO OUR
DEMOCRACY.
NO ONE EVER SEEMS TO MENTION.
THIS LAWMAKERS RECENTLY HELD
ANTITRUST HEARINGS THE PRESIDENT
SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT
COULD PROVOKE THE SPECIAL
IMMUNITY THAT SOME TECH WEB
SITES RECEIVE FROM LAWSUITS.
NONE OF THAT HAS HAPPENED YET.
WILL ANYTHING HAPPEN?
MATT WHITAKER THE FORMER ACTING
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL AUTHOR OF
THE BOOK "ABOVE THE LAW."
HE JOINS US TONIGHT.
MATT WHITAKER, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR COMING ON.
YOU CAN IMAGINE I’M SURE YOU
SHARE THE FRUSTRATION, IT’S
INFURIATING TO WATCH LARGE
MONOPOLIES CHANGE THE COURSE OF
AMERICAN HISTORY BY SUBVERTING
OUR ELECTIONS AND NOBODY NOE ONE
IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
WILL ANYONE IN POWER DO ANYTHING
TO STOP THIS BEFORE ELECTION
DAY, DO YOU BELIEVE?
>> GLAD TO BE WITH YOU, TUCKER.
YES, I ACTUALLY DO BELIEVE THAT
WE ARE GOING TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS INSIDIOUS REALLY
CENSORSHIP OF MOSTLY
CONSERVATIVE VOICES ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
AND I THINK THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS
ISSUE AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT
BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE
ALGORITHMS THAT FACEBOOK AND
TWITTER AND THE LIKE USE TO
PROVIDE YOUR NEWS FEED, I THINK
THAT COULD BE VIEWED AND MAYBE
VIEWED BY THIS DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE AS A CAMPAIGN CONVICTION
AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONVICTION
THAT ULTIMATELY, I THINK THEY
WILL STEP IN AND TAKE ACTION.
>> Tucker: I MEAN, WE HAVE TWO
MONTHS LEFT AND IT’S NOT EVEN A
QUESTION OF TRYING TO GET TRUMP
REELECTED OR HELPING JOE BIDEN.
I THINK THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FAR
MORE PROFOUND AND LONG LASTING
THAN THAT GOOGLE SINGLE-HANDEDLY
COULD ERODE ANY PUBLIC
CONFIDENCE IN DEMOCRACY.
I JUST WONDER IF PEOPLE AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SEE THIS
PROBLEM IN THOSE TERMS.
>> I THINK THEY DO.
AND I THINK WHAT IS ALSO
HAPPENING AMONG THESE COMPANIES
FACEBOOK IN PARTICULAR, THEY
HAVE SO MUCH DATA ON THEIR
INDIVIDUAL USERS THAT THEY CAN
ESSENTIALLY MANIPULATE WHAT YOU
SEE, HOW YOU SEE IT AND,
THEREFORE, BASED ON THEIR
FEEDBACK LOOP THAT IS PROVIDED
THEY CAN THEN TRY TO INFLUENCE
YOU TO WHETHER IT’S USE A
PRODUCT, VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE,
IT’S REALLY AGAIN INSIDIOUS.
I THINK THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE HAVE TO ACT BECAUSE OUR
DEMOCRACY CAN PROBABLY NOT STAND
IT THIS FOR ANOTHER ELECTION
CYCLE.
>> Tucker: I WONDER SINCE YOU
ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOW THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY
WORKS SINCE YOU RAN THE MOST
IMPORTANT AGENCY, DO YOU THINK
IT’S FAIR TO SAY THERE ARE
FEDERAL OFFICIALS AFRAID TO TAKE
ON GOOGLE?
>> I DON’T THINK SO.
I THINK BMI BARR THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL IS NOT AFRAID.
REALLY UNAFRAID OF ANYTHING.
AND ULTIMATELY, IT’S WHAT LAWS
AND WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH WE EXECUTE THE
LAW.
THE SECONDS 230 OF THE
COMMUNICATION DECENCY ACT
PROVIDES A SAFE HARBOR FOR THESE
COMPANIES THAT I THINK, YOU
KNOW, CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT AND
TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF SO THAT
THERE CAN BE MORE ENFORCEMENT ON
THAT FRONT.
>> Tucker: THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT IS A LEGISLATIVE MATTER.
THEY GAVE THESE COMPANIES THAT
SPECIAL CARVEOUT.
WE DIDN’T GET IT.
