FBI and HHS collusion with Big Tech is a violation of the 1974 Privacy Act – Video Podcast

Also in this episode: FBI and HHS violating 1974 Privacy Act, Ohio dems threaten voters, video helps school kids become gender unicorns, new segment on patriots taking a stand.

Watch full episode here

Martin: Intercept, by the way. 

So left-wing publications. 

So it’s really even more shocking that they would be the ones to release this. 

And not surprisingly, there are not many mainstream media stories that have followed up on the Intercept story. 

Michael: Wow. 

Martin: Yeah, wow. 

More sarcasm here. 

Alec: Knock me over with a feather. 

Martin: All right, I want to read some quotes from this story, and I hope it’s not boring, but I think people need to know some of the material in this article. 

So let me start. 

Years of internal DHS memos, emails, documents obtained via leaks in an ongoing lawsuit, and public documents illustrate an extensive effort by the agency to influence tech platforms. 

Alec: This is the Department of Homeland Security? 

Martin: Well, not just them. 

No. It goes on. 

Behind closed doors and through the pressure of private platforms. 

The U.S. Government has used its power to try to shape online discourse, in particular, 

discussions about COVID, racial justice, the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, and, of course, the Hunter Biden laptop story. 

Prior to the 2020 election, the article states tech companies, including Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, Wikipedia, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Verizon Media, met on a monthly basis with the FBI, CESA, and other government representatives. 

According to NBC News, the meetings were part of an ongoing initiative between the private sector and the government to discuss how firms would handle misinformation during the election. 

But they didn’t stop there. 

Is anybody surprised by that? 

Michael: No. 

Alec: I’ve been a big Reddit user and fan for quite a while now. 

And when they got rid of the Donald, which was the Donald Trump subreddit, which was like, the funniest, the funniest place on the Internet, I never forgave them for that. 

That was just the dumbest thing ever. 

Martin: And now that you know they’re working with the FBI, CESA, and other government agencies. 

Alec: Right, and their B.S. explanation doesn’t hold up at all. 

Now we know why they did it. 

Martin: All right. 

The article states that in June of 2021, the Department of Homeland Security Committee issued a report calling on the agency to closely monitor social media platforms of all sizes mainstream media, cable news, hyperpartisan media, talk radio, and other online resources. 

Well, that’s a power grab, isn’t it? 

I mean, they’ve got everybody. 

Michael: Well, isn’t hyper-partisan media, like, everything that they just mentioned all rolled up into one anyway? 

Martin: Well, I don’t know. 

Yeah, I guess so, right? 

The mainstream media is hyper-partisan, that’s for sure. 

Michael: Twitter. 

Alec: I mean, it’s media. They’re free to be as partisan or not partisan as they want to be 

Called Free speech. 

Martin: Now, here’s the most shocking thing, I guess, because it’s out there. 

Not shocking that it’s happening, but surprising that it is now out there. 

There’s also a formalized process for government officials to directly flag content on Facebook or Instagram and request that it be throttled or suppressed through a special Facebook portal that requires a government or law enforcement email to use.

Want audio only?