Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter thought banning former president Donald J. Trump (R) from their platforms would silence him.  Susan Rice, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., consigned Trump "to the trash [sic] heap of history."

But Donald J. Trump, being Donald J. Trump, flicked off these minor problems, replacing them with a fresh site: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/desk.  And his millions of followers from his former sites are sure to join him there.

Meanwhile, Facebook will decide this morning (Wed., May 5) whether to allow Trump back on its site.   [UPDATE: Facebook has now made the ban permanent.]  Ah, but does Trump want to return? 

Who needs the other more? 

Also, in reaction to the tech censorship of Trump, Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) introduced legislation titled The 21st Century Free Speech Act, designed to curtail this modern suppression of free speech.

The 21st Century FREE Speech Act seeks to stop censorship by companies like Facebook and Twitter by declaring the platforms "common carriers," a term also used for companies like railroads that must transport goods without discrimination.

Hagerty's bill also would require transparency in moderation practices and repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants internet companies immunity for most third-party content.

It will be instructive to see how this all plays out.  Stay tuned.  Stay alert.  And don't be afraid of Big Tech.

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