Online censorship in the wake of violence at the U.S. Capitol shows that “unelected” companies have “monopoly power,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Sunday.
“This is also an opportunity for [the left] to go and put pressure on social media companies to literally not just erase the president but erase everybody,” Rubio told “Sunday Morning Futures.” “We are now living in a country where four or five companies, unelected, unaccountable, have the monopoly power to decide, we’re gonna wipe people out, we’re going to erase them, from any digital platform, whether it’s selling things and the like.”
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Rubio described rioters who breached the Capitol as a “rogue’s gallery” and “wackos,” but he said tech companies’ eagerness to censor pro-Trump voices is a “cynical” ploy.
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“It’s also very cynical,” he said. “Facebook, Twitter, these are not moral champions here. The reason why these guys are doing it is because Democrats are about to take power, and they view this as a way to get on their good side to avoid restrictions or any sort of laws being passed that hurt them.”
Rubio has warned about tech companies’ power for a long time. In 2020, he cosponsored legislation to give Americans the ability to sue major tech companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter if they engage in selective censorship of political speech.
China is “laughing at us,” Rubio added.
“We could be talking about how we all agree that this is terrible and what is it that got in people’s heads and what are the things that people believe in, conspiracy-wise … that caused them to do these actions that we all reject,” Rubio said.
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“Instead, what we are now engaging in [is] a new front: who should be censored by five companies who no one’s elected and have the power to wipe you out? As far as China’s concerned, their fundamental argument is democracy doesn’t work, it’s messy, it’s chaotic. … Can you think of a better talking point for them?” he asked.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
