United States (US) Secretary of State Anthony Blinken released a striking statement, warning the public about countries “using the internet to try to control speech.”
During the startling display of doublespeak at the Summit for Democracy 2023, Blinken also claimed that the Biden administration is trying to promote an open internet before it threatens to “hold platforms accountable” for so-called “harms.”
Blinken also warned Americans about the internet “growing more closed, more insecure, more siloed by the day.”
In the statement, Blinken claimed that “more countries are putting up firewalls and shutting down access, using the internet to try to control speech, quash dissent, spread misinformation and disinformation.”
The Secretary of State also made another claim, stating that the Declaration for the Future of the Internet (a 60-country commitment to bolstering “resilience to disinformation and misinformation”) is reaffirming the country’s commitment to an “open network of networks that respects democratic principles and human rights.”
He then went on to slam other countries who closed off the internet and positioned US President Joe Biden’s administration as a paragon of openness.
“We have to do better at addressing some of the risks that come with the open internet.” Blinken said.
He then reportedly proposed a “delicate balance” between “openness and security,” “protecting speech and preventing incitement,” and “fostering innovation and limiting the power of Big Tech.”
Blinken then threatened consequences for platforms that don’t fall in line.
“The President’s…made clear that we need to be able to hold platforms accountable when they fail to address the harms caused by their technology, from the content they spread to the algorithms that they use,” Blinked added in the statement.
Blinken’s comments came days after the government introduced the RESTRICT Act, a bill that would allow the US federal government to have additional powers in order to crack down on free speech.
According to the bill, it would target “foreign adversaries” and is widely known to be targeting China’s TikTok.
“But the powers in the bill are so vast that it would give the federal government the authority to ban a wide range of apps and online services if they’re deemed to be “national security” threats,” Reclaim The Net reported.
