Ambassador, This is a Bad Idea

Ambassador Haley says if she is president, the social media companies will need to show the government their algorithms. That is getting overlooked because of what she said next. Here’s the clip.

The idea that people have to verify themselves to speak is antithetical to the Constitution of the United States. This is a bad idea.

Everything can be justified by “national security,” including checking the Venmo transactions of the Middle Class, monitoring what lessons are taught by home school parents, etc. After all, you wouldn’t want a parent hiding behind homeschooling to teach their child how to be a terrorist, would you?

This is not a good idea. The Founders of the United States hid behind pseudonyms to decry British tyranny. When they advocated for the Constitution, those who wrote the Federalist Papers used pseudonyms and hid behind anonymity.

Time and time again, internet companies have had accounts compromised, and anonymity could be hacked to learn real identities. It could threaten people who mean well.

Yes, there are those who use anonymity to troll, harass, abuse, etc. There always will be. But a lot of whistleblowers and good people, too, use anonymity.

Look at the Libs of TikTok account that exposed all sorts of awful progressive abuses in school. The proprietor of that account was exposed, her anonymity taken from her, and reporters doxxed her — directing tormentors where to go to find her.

Anonymity is a shield for the good as much as for the bad. It is a component of free speech. It is national security neutral because as much as the bad can use it to harm, the good can use it to help.

This is a bad idea.