A new report shows just how Big Tech is increasingly silencing Christians and religious groups.
The Napa Legal Institute last week revealed a report detailing the full extent of how Big Tech censors Christians and other religious organizations, highlighting the hostile attitude of Silicon Valley leaders on faith-based organizations. The report showed that since the beginning of 2021, Big Tech censors Christians and other religious organizations or individuals at a rate of at least once a week.
According to the Napa Legal Institute report, which was compiled and published just last week, pro-life organizations and individuals have become the primary target of Big Tech censors, with Christians and other religious groups being subjected to social media bans, suspensions, and other methods of censorship online at least once a week, the Christian Post reported.
Many might not notice just how Big Tech censors Christians and other religious groups, but some instances have gained national attention, such as when Amazon removed Ryan T. Anderson's book titled "When Harry Became Sally" from its catalogue, refusing to put it back on their virtual shelves despite widespread backlash from Christians and conservative groups. Amazon reiterated that they have "chosen not to sell books that frame LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness."
Amazon has made Anderson a poster child for what happens to authors who dare to speak out on the traditional Christian views of gender and sex. This is concerning for Christians, as an estimate indicates as much as 80% of book sales happen on Amazon's huge platform.
Another instance of how Big Tech censors Christians is the case of Catholic bishop Kevin Doran, whose Twitter account was suspended in February because he spoke out on the topic of "assisted suicide," which the Roman Catholic Church officially condemns.
In his tweet that cost him his Twitter account, Bishop Doran wrote, "Assisted suicide, where it is practiced, is not an expression of freedom or dignity, but of the failure of a society to accompany people on their 'way of the cross.'"
Bishop Doran's Twitter account was reinstated after 30 days, but others have experienced more severe punishment from Big Tech censors.
For example, the pro-life news outlet LifeSiteNews's YouTube account was permanently suspended by the company, cutting down communication to its over 300,000 subscribers and deleting more than 2,000 of its videos. Another permanent suspension came about with Catholic Connect's Instagram account after they alleged "copyright infringement" against the group.
But Christians and religious groups are fighting back against Big Tech censors. According to the Wall Street Journal, the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List was shut down by Facebook for "misleading claims" about President Joe Biden's views on "late-term abortions." The group retaliated by going to the media, causing Facebook to reverse their decision and apologize.
It has become increasingly clear through Big Tech censors that Christians' views on marriage, sex, and other moral values are not aligned with those of Silicon Valley leaders. Because of their control, religious groups are then forced to either sit silently, change their views to save themselves from persecution, or just back down.
The WSJ's Josh Holdenried argued however, "Censorship is a symptom of a national collapse in civic culture. Curing the deeper disease will take all the courage and conviction we can muster."
