The incoming Trump administration’s vow to dismantle the leftwing “censorship cartel” has thrown a shadow over the cottage industry of academics, non-profits and researchers that sprang up to combat a tide of digital misinformation — and threatens to disrupt the Big Tech companies behind the world’s most popular platforms.
Researchers fear Donald Trump will make good on his past promises to crack down further on the misinformation field in the US for alleged “election interference”. Among those threats, he has said he would seek to curb funds to any universities found to have engaged in censorship activities “such as flagging social media content for removal or blacklisting” for at least five years. He has signalled the seriousness of his intentions by choosing Brendan Carr as the new chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
The Republican commissioner has echoed the forthcoming president’s rhetoric on “free speech” and “dismantling censorship”. Trump’s efforts have also received public support from Silicon Valley heavyweights, including a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, now one of the president-elect’s most visible allies. …
“I’m pretty fucking scared,” said one professor in the field, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution. “If this stuff happens, I will be on a plane [out of America].”
Another professor said the rhetoric had placed pressure on individuals but also universities and colleges at an institutional level, and that discussions were being held internally about how to prepare. “It’s an existential threat to my livelihood and [our] research funding.”…