Presentation given as part of a panel on online content moderation on May 18, 2022 at the Annual Meeting of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Cosponsored by the NJSBA Media Law Committee

1. Ronald D. Coleman
Dhillon Law Group
Newark
“CONTENT MODERATION”
(Internet Censorship)

2. Censorship
• Censorship is not the monopoly of the state
– unlike infringement of the constitutional
right to free speech
• The Internet offers unprecedented access to
public forums and thus
• The greatest threat to existing stakeholders and
• The most tempting targets for CENSORSHIP

3. Stakeholders
First stage
censorship
• Legal regimes: Dubious legal claims by
established brands, manufacturers to
contain competition
• Trademarks
• “unauthorized distributors”; grey market goods
• Copyright
• meritless DMCA takedown notices to suppress
messaging
• Tortious interference claims
• alternative legal theory used in unauthorized
distribution cases

4. Stakeholders
Next stage
censorship
• Private regimes: Social media platforms
• Terms of service
• “content moderation”
• no transparency
• no accountability
• consistently inconsistent
• Activist capture
• activist “issue” / party front groups
• internal corporate political culture
• commercial interests
• Political capture
• implied threat of regulation
• interface / revolving door with corporate /
management

5. Stakeholders
Current / end stage
censorship – 1
• Social media – political – corporate
convergence
• Algorithm manipulation
• “trending” content-preference prompting
• shadow banning
• account banning
• content banning
• Media anticompetitive efforts
• shared interest with dominant SM platforms to
prevent new entrants
• “misinformation,” “disinformation,” “fake news”
• explicit targeting of new media entrants (OANN,
Epoch Times, Project Veritas)
• Government / media joint operations
• Project Veritas – FBI – NY Times
• Pending defamation litigation

6. Stakeholders
Current / end stage
censorship – 2
• State censorship
• Covert cooperation with SM platforms
• officially-approved “narratives”
• undisclosed censorship
• Official Ministries of Truth
• “Office of Election Security” – O’Handley (Cal.)
• Twitter deleted 95% of “problematic” content flagged
by Cal. Dept. of State
• Administration public, actions taken private
• Judicial Watch disclosures
• Homeland Security “Disinformation Governance
Board”
• Placement in omnipotent, secret DHS
• Unprecedented government involvement in
information management?
• History of propaganda, state disinformation (CIA,
COINTELPRO)