Tech cracks down on faith-based groups at rate of 1 per week in 2021: report


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Tech companies have silenced faith-based organizations at a rate of one per week in 2021, according to a new report from the Napa Legal Institute. 

The institute observed tech companies removing faith-based groups and their leaders in such an unpredictable and frequent fashion through Friday, March 26, that it recommends religious groups stop counting on tech platforms to provide them continuous service. The institute is a nonprofit that provides non-litigation legal counsel to Catholic nonprofits and other faith-based organizations. 

“Since the start of 2021, faith-based organizations have been de-platformed at least weekly by Big Tech companies, particularly those providing social media services,” reads the Napa Legal Institute’s report. “While policy debates over content moderation continue, faith-based nonprofits need to understand who is being de-platformed, why, and what strategies are effective for overcoming de-platforming.”

De-platforming refers to the practice of tech companies removing someone’s presence on their platform, including by suspending a user’s account or preventing them from posting and publishing on a platform. The institute cited examples such as YouTube removing the pro-life account LifeSite News and Amazon’s decision to take author Ryan T. Anderson’s book “When Harry Became Sally” about transgender identity off of its online store. 

The institute said faith-based organizations focused on cultural or policy issues run the greatest risk of de-platforming, that such groups often receive little — if any — explanation for why they were censored, and that public pressure and media attention have resulted in some organizations regaining their digital access. 

“[O]rganizations should self-assess their risk of being de-platformed,” the institute’s report reads. “If a significant risk is present, organizations should plan for possible de-platforming, reduce the potential for harm to the organization and its constituents, and increase the chances of a favorable resolution.”

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