Facebook, Google, Apple Censoring Religion?
("Baptist Press," September 26, 2011)
Washington DC, USA - Apple, Google and other Internet giants are
participating in religious discrimination and restricting free speech,
according to
a new report by the National Religious Broadcasters.
"If Christian content and worldview programming are censored by new media
platforms ... the Good News of the Gospel could become one more casualty of
institutionalized religious discrimination," said Frank Wright, president
of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB).
The report, released Sept. 15 in Washington, examined the policies and
practices of Apple, Facebook, Google, Myspace and Twitter, as well as Internet
service providers Comcast, AT&T and Verizon.
Twitter is the only corporation that did not show signs of religious
discrimination, according to the report. Twitter refuses to monitor or remove
content unless it interferes with the terms of service.
The ideal proposition for solving this problem, according to the NRB, is to
persuade the individual companies to eradicate censorship voluntarily and
abide by their obligation to protect free speech. If the suggestions are
not taken into consideration, NRB said it is willing to respond with such
actions as legislation, regulation or litigation.
NRB's report included the following examples of discrimination or potential
censorship:
-- Apple offers hundreds of thousands of iPhone applications, but removed
two apps by ex-gay Christian ministry Exodus International. Consumers were
denied access to these two apps because their Christian content was
considered "offensive."
-- Facebook's decision to partner with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Discrimination (GLAAD) could mean that "Christian content critical of
homosexuality, same-sex marriage or similar practices will be at risk of
censorship."
-- Google initially refused to allow the Christian Institute of England to
purchase advertisement space because of its information about abortion law.
After the institute sued Google under Britain's Equality Act, the Internet
conglomerate revised its policy, requiring the information to be
"factual."
These few giant corporations virtually rule the vast Internet world. The
report, an effort of the NRB's John Milton Project, says corporate leaders
hold the power to ban content when they alone determine whether an
application, website, article or viewpoint is considered "accurate" and
"factual."
A recurring theme when dealing with online censorship is the question of
whether the First Amendment should apply to these privately owned and
operated corporations. The right to free speech only pertains to public
utilities;
however, the Internet is a resource that is used as a public forum for
discussion on a daily basis.
The report emphasizes the Internet as an outlet through which individuals
can address controversial issues to a "potentially unlimited audience." It
also says the freedom to express those opinions through this continually
improving technological channel must be defended.
"I hope these companies, the good companies that they are, get the message
that they may be coloring outside the lines here," said Colby May, director
of the Washington, D.C., offices of the American Center for Law and
Justice. May spoke during a panel discussion after the release of the NRB
report
at the National Press Club. "Let's do the right thing here."
NRB is a non-partisan, international association of Christian
communicators. It said it tackled the issue because it is "committed to
representing
Christian broadcasting wherever threats to religious freedom emerge."
--
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