Unique: Rumble, a popular video-sharing and cloud service platform, has revealed a number of censorship demands it has received from countries’ governments that may surprise many.
major technology company shared details of those demands with Fox News Digital, as well as CEO Chris Pawlowski’s prepared remarks for his testimony on Capitol Hill this week at a House hearing focused on growing censorship and free speech concerns in Brazil. Will be in.
“Freedom of speech and expression are the cornerstone of a democratic society,” Pawlowski is expected to tell members of the House Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations on Tuesday.
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Chris Pawlowski, CEO of Rumble (Rumble/Fox News)
He is expected to say, “Freedom of expression is so important that it is not only the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, but it is also Article 19 in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” “It is deeply troubling to me that in 2024 I will have to come before the US Congress and testify that these fundamental rights are being threatened.”
Pavlovsky is expected to mention those threats – most of which would be considered the norm. countries like chinaRussia or North Korea – the culprits are actually liberal democracies where individual freedoms are generally held in high esteem.
According to Rumble, it has become a common theme for countries to try to control what can and cannot be said online, especially if the content is politically unpopular or in conflict with their respective governments. Be inconvenient for.
One such demand came from the French government, which wanted Rumble to take action reminiscent of the Chinese Communist Party by removing content originally posted on its site by Russia Today – an outlet it funded. Russian government -Notwithstanding that none of its posting policies have been violated.
Despite attempts to negotiate with the French government over the content, Rumble is in a legal battle over the demand and has temporarily suspended its service in the country.
A similar situation has emerged in Brazil also. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Election victory in 2022 and subsequent protests by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, which some compared to the protests at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to Rumble, whose services are suspended amid ongoing legal challenges in the country, the Brazilian government has attempted to censor political opponents and journalists on the site.
Additionally, Rumble has faced pressure from the Australian and New Zealand governments to remove content from its site, including a viral video of a Sydney bishop being attacked while conducting a church service and a report on COVID-19 by a government whistleblower. Includes data that have been released regarding the efficacy of . 19 commentary.
The company is challenging those governments also.
In his congressional testimony, Pawlowski is expected to inform the committee about efforts by France, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil to block the availability of certain content from their respective citizens, and about the governments’ censorship efforts. Will emphasize on “manifest” nature.
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva greets supporters after taking the oath of office at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
“Governments are acting in ways we could have imagined only 50 to 60 years ago, openly asking platforms to censor and remove adverse content. They are back in the business of thinking that They know what’s best, are dictating and controlling the conversation, and taking away the human right to speak and share freely,” Pawlowski is expected to testify.
“These are not theoretical fears. These things are happening, and I know this personally as the CEO of a platform that receives demand from governments around the world,” he will say. “Countries in every hemisphere, all of them members of the United Nations, are no longer upholding the human right to freedom of expression. It’s getting out of control, and that should concern everyone in this room.”
Pavlovsky is expected to call on the US government to no longer be “silent” on the issue of protecting freedom of speech and issue a stern warning that although Rumble is facing these demands today, so too may other outlets in the future. Could.
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“Today it’s the Rumble, yesterday it was the To grow and play a leading role,” he will add.
