The world of web-based communication is essentially controlled by a tight-knit group of conglomerates, many of which are hostile to the Christian message.
These companies, including Facebook, Google, YouTube (Google owned), and PayPal, come together to control all of the news and information available to us on the internet. These powerful companies form a near-monopoly, and have shown lately that they can manipulate what the public views and are actually pushing their agendas while burying alternative viewpoints – including certain spiritual perspectives.
Is it Time to Regulate Top Tech Giants?
Public officials think it is time to treat these tech giants as public utilities and regulate them as such. This would help limit them in pushing their views and bullying people into listening to their agenda with no other options.
Ironically, the liberal cultures they claim fame for are not apparent in their corporate environments. Most do not welcome free speech at work among their employees at all, and have shown employees that open religious expression isn’t tolerated.
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon thinks it is time to regulate these companies, and says that Google and Facebook “have become essential elements of 21st century life,” that “should be regulated as utilities.”
Bannon, now back with Breitbart News, believes that since Google and Facebook have become effectively necessities in the modern world, there may be grounds for these companies to be treated like a natural monopoly like a water and sewer system.
Many agree with this theory. Jonathan Taplin, author of “Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy” warns that these huge corporations in the tech industry control the future of many industries, including music, film, publishing, television, and news.
“If you think this is a problem only for musicians, or journalists, you are wrong,” Taplin said. “With the reallocation of money to monopoly platforms comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and Big Pharma, which makes finding solutions to this problem even more difficult.”
Erasing Christianity from the Internet
Recently, YouTube de-monetized more than 900 videos on their website by evangelical Dr. Michael Brown’s “Ask Dr. Brown” ministry. “De-monetization” means YouTube decides which videos can collect ad revenue, based on whether they are deemed advertiser-friendly.
Nearly all the de-monetized videos were conservative in nature, and offered views on a variety of issues with a Christian perspective. Examples include “Should Christians Homeschool Their Children?” or “Did Jesus Claim to Be God?”
It seems that Google can’t be trusted to effectively monitor and judge what is considered offensive or not. According to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, “Why should a company that shuts down free speech for political reasons have the power to dictate what the world knows and thinks? Well, of course it shouldn’t have that power.”
This censorship has not been limited to Google and its subsidiaries. Not long ago, Facebook blocked a traditional marriage campaign page. They have also blocked over two dozen Catholic organization and individual Facebook pages with millions of followers.
Following suit, PayPal has also clearly taken a stance in the cultural debate, as they recently banned some conservative sites from receiving online donations because the site’s ‘activities’ have been deemed ‘hate sites’ by left-wing groups. Furthermore, PayPal has announced that it will cease payments to any company they consider to be right-wing extremists.
Europe has taken a stand against Google, and the European Commission has assessed $2.7 billion in fines for violating their antitrust law which accuses Google of limiting consumer choices for their citizens.
Perhaps it is time to consider following their example?
~ 1776 Christian
