One of the many byproducts of the Democrats’ rigging of the 2020 elections, and the “defeat” of Donald Trump, is that there will be no limits in the foreseeable future to unconscionable political censorship by Facebook.[2] There is no legal recourse now except to sue Facebook, its principals and employees (including its Chinese nationals), which would cost an arm and a leg. And in all likelihood, some Liberal judge—or the lawless “Justices” of our Supreme Court[3]—would decide against the plaintiff. The cost of litigation alone is prohibitive, which means that as a practical matter it would be an exercise in futility, in all likelihood.
I have friends who have been brutally censored by Facebook, and banned from the Website for weeks if not months. I laughed about it, until it happened to me. Now I can appreciate fully what political censorship by American Websites is all about, and why it must be stopped. Otherwise, we may witness what George Orwell described in his prescient “Animal Farm,” where all of the animals were equal until the Pigs reigned supreme and subjugated the other animals—and their freedoms were desecrated.[4]
In my case, Facebook’s censorship began “innocuously” last year, but it came to a head on February 22, 2021, when the cross-referencing of my posting at another Website served as the basis for a 7-day “expulsion” from Facebook. A friend in New York has been “banned” for longer than that; and the next step for Facebook’s “minders” was to ban him from the Website entirely. Thus, they accomplished their goal of effectively intimidating and silencing him. I have not agreed with everything that he says, but he is very intelligent and articulate; and his voice is important today and always. So is that of every American.
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to our wonderful Constitution prevents the government from making laws that would abridge the freedom of speech.[5] However, “Section 230” or 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(2) provides “‘Good Samaritan’ protection from civil liability for operators of interactive computer services [such as Facebook] in the removal or moderation of third-party material they deem obscene or offensive, even of constitutionally protected speech, as long as it is done in good faith.”[6] The elimination of this law is long overdue.
I have appealed twice to something called the “Oversight Board,” alleging “Gross And Unconscionable Political Censorship” and “My Comment Should Be Allowed Under Freedom Of Speech.” In both cases, the response was “Not selected for review.” Are the only alternatives (1) to shut down Facebook completely, (2) to repeal Section 230, or to (3) boycott Facebook and other Websites that abridge Americans’ cherished freedom of speech? Clearly, China’s Communist rulers in Beijing are loving this, which moves them that much closer to global domination by the end of this decade.[7]
© 2021, Timothy D. Naegele
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[1] Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass). He and his firm, Timothy D. Naegele & Associates, specialize in Banking and Financial Institutions Law, Internet Law, Litigation and other matters (see, e.g., Timothy D. Naegele Resume-20-6-30). He has an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as well as two law degrees from the School of Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley, and from Georgetown University. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon, where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal (see, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commendation_Medal#Joint_Service). Mr. Naegele is an Independent politically; and he is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Finance and Business. He has written extensively over the years (see, e.g., www.naegele.com/whats_new.html#articles and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/articles/), and can be contacted directly at tdnaegele.associates@gmail.com
[2] See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/is-google-becoming-microsoft-or-worse/#comment-14975 (“Has Amazon Joined The Ranks Of Google And Facebook In Despicable Leftist Censorship?”)
[3] See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2021/02/23/finally-clarence-thomas-opens-his-mouth/ (“Finally, Clarence Thomas Opens His Mouth”) and https://www.newsmax.com/politics/clarence-thomas-election-law-scotus-voter-fraud/2021/02/22/id/1011008/ (“Justice Thomas Blisters Court on Rejecting Election Cases”) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/19/the-high-tech-lynching-of-donald-trump/ (“The High-Tech Lynching Of Donald Trump”) (see also the comments beneath the article) and https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/22/supreme-court-rejects-trump-effort-to-shield-tax-records-from-ny-prosecutors.html (“Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to shield tax records from NY prosecutors”) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/18/the-u-s-supreme-court-is-a-tragic-pathetic-joke/ (“The U.S. Supreme Court Is A Tragic, Pathetic Joke”) and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9287073/Supreme-Court-says-Manhattan-prosecutors-Donald-Trumps-tax-returns.html (“Trump calls NY’s Democrat DA Cy Vance a ‘headhunter’ as he slams SCOTUS ruling that forces him to hand over tax returns in fraud probe – calling it ‘a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our country’”) and https://www.nysun.com/national/justice-thomas-in-a-fiery-dissent-illuminates/91427/ (“Justice Thomas, In a Fiery Dissent, Marks Need for Election Reform”) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/the-day-america-died/ (“The Day America Died?”)
[4] See, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm (“Animal Farm”)
[5] See, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution (“First Amendment to the United States Constitution”)
[6] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_230 (“Section 230”)
[7] See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/the-day-america-died/ (“The Day America Died?”)
NaegeleBlog 
The Facebook monopoly needs to broken up just like we broke up the oil companies and ATT. Facebook engages in outright censorship. It is a UTILITY and everyone deserves access to the platform just like they can’t cut off your power or water because of your political views.
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RAGING AGAINST THE MACHINE
I say, if you are not happy with social media or Facebook, then do not continue to use them. Alternatively, organize a Facebook Boycott globally. There are plenty of disgruntled Facebook users already out-there. In the meantime, there is nothing you can do because Facebook is not in direct violation of a Federal Statute, a.k.a. law.
Sadly, Facebook, along with the old Mainstream Media (MSM). is a part of the “Deep State” and there is clearly collusion, if not conspiracy, to turn America inside-out and transform it into a socialist democracy in the next 4 years. Remember the old saying: ” You can not (effectively) fight city hall”. Time to beat a path to “greener pastures”?
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Thank you, Craig, for your comments.
First, I joined Facebook years ago, to see what it was like, without using it again for many years. Then, I started using it, and now this.
Second, if Donald Trump had gotten a second term, or if he gets one in the future, high on his list—and the lists of his supporters—will be “gutting” Facebook and other elements of the “Deep State,” so they never rise again.
Third, it is arguable that Facebook is in direct violation of our Constitution; and that Section 230 is unconstitutional because it “abridges” my freedom of speech and that of every American who is censored by Facebook and its “minders.”
Lastly, the “greener pastures” include a second term for Donald Trump; and prison at Guantanamo for Joe and Hunter Biden, the un-American racist and anti-Semite Barack Obama, and a very long list of their co-conspirators.
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Just a few thoughts …
I personally never signed up for Facebook or Twitter. Having said that, I have also experienced censorship. For example; at one time, I was a rather prolific contributor to the comment section of The Telegraph, UK edition. (I actually became aware of Mr. Naegele’s blog due entirely to his comments there as well). For whatever the reason, my comments received a fairly high number of “likes.” There was another poster that REALLY was “liked,” consistently receiving far more likes than anyone else. He posted literally every single day and had a huge following. One day, his posts simply stopped. After several weeks, his posts suddenly reappeared, along with his explanation stating that his absence was entirely due to his being censored. Within a couple of weeks, he disappeared again, only this time for good. Not long after that, I too was blocked, and without any notice whatsoever, I was banned from their site. Within several months after that, the entire comment section was eliminated.
What was interesting about that comment section is this; it reflected people from all over Europe and Asia, and many people wrote that the comment section was “far more interesting and informative” than the actual article that was written by the Telegraph staff writer. Obviously, the Telegraph wanted only their views represented, which were typically in conflict with those independent commentators that weren’t afraid to declare the truth, as they saw it.
Zero Hedge recently arbitrarily banned me for a reason that they would not state other than the vague notice “you are in violation of our terms of service statement.” Recently, the site, The American Thinker, to the dismay of many, closed down their comment section entirely. My local newspaper has a “comment” section attached to every story for its online edition. I have not seen a single comment published on any story for several years.
The trend to silence every day Americans is rampant. Despotic states hate the free flow of information and ideas. Unfortunately, we are morphing more and more into that totalitarianism that Orwell described so well in his 1984 novel.
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Thank you as always, Ray.
First came the paywalls and then the announcements about cookies that block the entire screen until one agrees, and lots of us stopped posting at the UK’s Telegraph and European Websites.
I agree with you about the comment sections often being more interesting than the articles. This is true of the UK’s Daily Mail Website. I was blocked from that too for commenting about #MEGXIT and dumb and dumber Harry. Now, all or most of the “Best rated” comments about this Montecito duo are much harsher than anything I ever said. I merely compared them to the former King who abdicated to marry his American lover, Wallis Simpson.
See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9303647/Palace-sources-brand-timing-Harrys-TV-appearance-unhelpful.html (“‘When the Queen speaks it’s accepted she has a clear field’: Palace brands rapping Harry’s interview ‘unhelpful’ for overshadowing ‘rare and important’ vaccine video after he blames press for driving him away – and Meghan reveals pet name”)
Your last paragraph says it all. However, my comments go to Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” where the Pigs reigned supreme and subjugated the other animals. This is what is unfolding here, if America’s Left is not stopped. And yes, I began as a Democrat but will never vote for one again.
Next, I have been very critical of Clarence Thomas. But the latest censorship is by Amazon, which has stripped a documentary about him from its streaming service.
See https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/26/amazon-strips-clarence-thomas-documentary-from-streaming-service-during-black-history-month/ (“Amazon Strips Clarence Thomas Documentary From Streaming Service”); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/19/the-high-tech-lynching-of-donald-trump/ (“The High-Tech Lynching Of Donald Trump”) (see also the comments beneath the article)
Lastly, like him or not personally, many or most of the 75 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump have lost their voice on important issues that affect all of us. And censorship is certainly one of them.
When Twitter banned him, he felt our pain and disappointment. He was one of us, which is why the Democrats and others on the Left, and of course China, are deathly afraid that he will rise again.
He has survived their nonstop attacks, and China’s COVID, yet like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, he keeps rising again and again.
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I found Mr. Naegele’s blog reading one of his comments in the Economist on climate hoax. (Don’t get me started on that worthless leftie dumbed down rag which used to be the best magazine in the world 30 years ago). I found him again a couple days ago and am enjoying his posts again. My posts to facebook were throttled (they would not be shown)…if it was something critical of the Dumb and Incompetent world norm. I say we live in the PC reign of terror age. Amazon most recently deleted all my book reviews but I think that was a random culling effort but who knows anymore.
So Biden had brain aneurysms… I am a retired MD — this was better hidden than Saddam’s WMDs. by MSM. No they don’t recover — they become deficient. My other beef the virus came from the lab I have no doubt about it–it was an accident as it hit Wuhan. But no one is allowed to say that now. Enough glad I found you again! Mark Steyn says some countries are too dumb to exist — we have crossed that line.
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Thank you for your fine comments. I am very pleased that we connected again. 😊
I agree that we live in a “PC reign of terror.” How quickly we seem to have descended into the abyss.
In the case of Facebook, again my 7-day confinement to “purgatory” was based on an old innocuous comment, with no right of appeal.
I must have been “programmed,” which leads me to conclude that I am probably programmed for banishment too.
The Orwellian world has arrived, along with China’s deadly Coronavirus that has affected Americans physically, psychologically and economically. A perfect storm.
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See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10057949/Facebook-Instagram-Facebook-Messenger-DOWN.html (“Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are DOWN: Social media apps crash for frustrated users worldwide”) and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10058203/Verizon-T-Mobile-T-leaving-thousands-without-mobile-internet-phone-services.html (“Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp go DOWN worldwide for three hours and counting in catastrophic outage after server issue causes them to ‘disappear’ from the internet”)
Wow.
If Facebook can be taken down, what about America’s enemies (e.g., China, Russia) taking down the Internet completely? Or taking down our cellphone systems that we rely on? Sound far-fetched? Maybe. Maybe not.
See https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/02/asia/china-warplanes-taiwan-air-defense-intl-hnk/index.html (“China air force sends 77 warplanes into Taiwan defense zone over two days, Taipei says”) and https://thehill.com/policy/defense/575054-us-very-concerned-about-chinas-provocative-military (“US ‘very concerned’ about China’s ‘provocative military activity near Taiwan'”) and https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/taiwan-preparing-for-war-with-china/100511294 (“Taiwanese Foreign Minister warns his country is preparing for war with China, asks Australia for help”) and https://www.cnsnews.com/article/international/patrick-goodenough/warplanes-scramble-beijing-paper-calls-taiwans-govt-evil (“As Warplanes Scramble, Beijing Paper Calls Taiwan’s Govt ‘an Evil Force the Mainland Must Crush’”) and https://www.the-sun.com/news/3787615/russia-zircon-hypersonic-missile-nuclear-submarine/ (“Russia unleashes ‘unstoppable’ 6,670mph Zircon hypersonic missile from nuclear sub for the first time amid WW3 fears”) and https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2021-10-04/brazen-china-steadily-ramps-up-warplane-flights-in-taiwans-airspace (“Brazen China Steadily Ramps Up Warplane Flights in Taiwan’s Airspace”) and https://news.trust.org/item/20211004144313-afbyb (“China mounts largest incursion yet near Taiwan, blames U.S.”)
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Take ALL social media down (offline) for 30 Days & ransom them for freer user Terms & Conditions
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Facebook is back up and running. 😊
See, e.g., https://m.facebook.com/503720885/
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Facebook’s censorship is pure evil, banning or putting users in “Facebook purgatory” for unjustifiable reasons (e.g., citing legitimate comments from a previous year; pro-Donald Trump and/or anti-Joe Biden/Kamala Harris comments), and then complaining that no staff members are available to address the users’ concerns. The appellate process is nonexistent.
It is shades of Nazism in America. Again, there are sound reasons for regulating Facebook out of existence. George Orwell wrote about this in his prescient “Animal Farm,” where all of the animals were equal until the Pigs reigned supreme and subjugated the other animals.
Facebook’s censorship today defies the constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of speech. Indeed, it is a prominent part of the evil “cancel culture” in America, which must be eradicated and destroyed.
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Facebook Should Be Regulated Out Of Existence
The entire civilized world is condemning Vladimir Putin’s butchery and atrocities in Ukraine – against the courageous Ukrainians – in the strongest terms. Women and men alike are repulsed by the raping, disfigurement and killing of Ukrainian women and young girls.
Yet, Facebook censors comments condemning such Russian actions, and bans users who post them. Its so-called “Oversight Board” is a farce and total fraud, and a pathetic attempt to provide cover to Facebook’s egregious censorship practices.
The time has come to regulate Facebook out of existence. Nothing less will suffice. Gut it completely.
To protect Putin – while he and his thugs are killing and mutilating innocent Ukrainians – is unconscionable.
. . .
And the same thing is happening with Twitter.
Both Facebook and Twitter seem to be organs of Russia’s ruthless killer Putin.
As Auld Nick from the UK commented on MailOnline:
“I feel sick. It’s being played out on our screens and we can do nothing.”
See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10782185/Ukraine-war-Communications-lost-Mariupol-defenders.html?ito=twitter_share_comment_text#comments
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Facebook Is Censoring Again, On Behalf Of China!
See
https://www.facebook.com/503720885/
and https://www.facebook.com/503720885/posts/pfbid0RFiwqcM2nhJisemsY11USEG9L5e3p14hDcZJnruy2YWrKuYTRoEdsHMNBVXuHkVml/?app=fbl
Is Facebook acting as China’s surrogate or defender, and barring comments about Chinese brutality? Would it have covered up Tiananmen Square?
With Xi Jinping making dire threats against the USA if Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, and the chances of World War III increasing every day, Facebook’s censorship is unconscionable.
See, e.g., https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11057805/Biden-calling-Chinas-Xi-8-30-TODAY-Taiwan-holds-drills-experts-warn-Pelosi-visit.html
Would Facebook have defended Adolf Hitler, and engaged in censorship on his behalf?
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Like Twitter, Facebook Must Be Put Out Of Business
See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11453325/CBS-FINALLY-wakes-admits-Hunter-Bidens-abandoned-laptop-REAL.html (“Now CBS FINALLY wakes up and admits Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop IS REAL, 20 months after DailyMail.com authenticated its contents and broke dozens of stories about his shady dealings – so why did it take them so long?”)
A simple link to this article in the UK’s Daily Mall has produced a 29-day unappealable restriction on all Facebook activity, which is absurd — and totally arbitrary and capricious.
See also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2022/09/18/twitter-engages-in-racist-censorship-and-is-un-american/ (“Twitter Engages In Racist Censorship, And Is Un-American”)
Dumpster Fire from London commented on MailOnline:
“The mass media hates Trump. That’s why they buried the Hunter story.”
See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11453325/CBS-FINALLY-wakes-admits-Hunter-Bidens-abandoned-laptop-REAL.html?ito=twitter_share_comment_text#comments
They’re still burying it!
We live in a country where the forces of pure evil reign and must be destroyed — including Mark Zuckerberg, Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby . . . and of course the Biden crime family syndicate.
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Is Facebook A Lost Cause?
Someone ostensibly named “Vũ Hòa Giang” from Vietnam has been pitching (1) weight loss products and remedies, (2) furniture for children, and (3) more.
See, e.g., https://m.facebook.com/100079913588324/
But when he was reported to Facebook, the response was that its community standards were not violated.
Internet fraud is rampant, but Facebook does not care if its platform is used and misused by fraudsters.
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