Twitter allows Kremlin on its platform amid Ukraine invasion while prominent conservatives are banned
‘They have the power, they can choose to use it for evil or good, that’s up to them,’ Justin Danhof said
ORLANDO, Fla. – Conservatives have long vented that Twitter favors liberals, but one prominent watchdog thinks tech giants at least need to shut down disinformation related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine if they’re not going to treat all Americans equally.
"I think that where actual violence is occurring, on any level, if you have ability to curb violence, I think you should use your power for good," Justin Danhof told Fox News Digital before he took the stage at Orlando's Conservative Political Action Conference.
Danhof, the executive vice president of the National Center for Public Policy Research, was part of a CPAC panel titled "Woke, Inc.," aimed at examining liberal ideology infiltrating American corporations.
National Center for Public Policy Research executive vice president Justin Danhof spoke to Fox News Digital at CPAC.
As of Tuesday morning, the Kremlin was allowed to have a verified Twitter account that has been sharing images and information straight from Russian president Vladimir Putin to 1.4 million followers.
As Putin’s military has shaken the world with its invasion of Ukraine, many Americans – including former President Trump – are blocked from the platform that has allowed the Russian president to spread his message.
"They have the power, they can choose to use it for evil or good, that’s up to them," Danhof said of Twitter.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Over the last decade, Danhof said Twitter and other power-hungry social media platforms essentially pulled off a "bait and switch" on the American people.
"The original idea of lots of Silicon Valley companies … They started as these free platforms, right? We are really going to liberate communication in the United States of America, we’re not going to censor, and that was part of the deal that they got with the government, right? That’s the whole Section 230 debate is they were given immunity for what was said on their platform because it was going to be a place for freedom of speech," Danhof said.
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"But guess what? Then they got power, and power corrupts," he added. "Market share, in this instance, is power, and Facebook and Twitter still control the major market share for social media communication so once they realized they had the power, they just did the will of their bosses."
Danhof feels a quick glance at the political leanings of Silicon Valley honchos will explain why the companies favor the left. Prior to the 2020 election, tech leaders "overwhelmingly" contributed to Democratic nominee Joe Biden with hopes he would defeat then-President Trump, according to a review of campaign finance data by WIRED magazine.
As of Tuesday morning, the Kremlin was allowed to have a verified Twitter account that has been sharing images and information straight from Russian president Vladimir Putin. (Photo by ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) ((Photo by ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images))
Last year, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stepped down and then-chief technology officer Parag Agrawal was unanimously appointed the new CEO by the social media giant's board.
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"Dorsey may be gone, but the guy who replaced him is 20 times worse, believe it or not, when it comes to wanting to censor voices that they don’t agree with," Danhof said. "There was a debate in the public square, and they weren’t always winning, and when you’re not winning, and you have the power to shut off the other voice, it seems almost natural that that’s what you would do."
Danhof feels tech companies were able to blame algorithms for issues in the early days of social media, but those days are long gone.
"There is no pretense left, it’s just blatant, it’s obvious," he said. "It’s very obvious to any objective observer what’s going on these days."
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The National Center for Public Policy Research bills itself as "a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems." It was founded in 1982.
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