(UnitedVoice.com) – Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has made a radical suggestion to fight online extremism — but it’s also a huge violation of personal privacy. Haley recently said anonymous social media users are a threat to our security, and she wanted them banned. Now, she’s having second thoughts.
On November 14, Haley, a former governor of South Carolina who also served as the US Ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump Administration, told Fox News that anonymous accounts on social media platforms are a “national security threat” and called for all users to have their identity verified. She said this was necessary to prevent hostile states like Russia, China, or Iran from whipping up anti-Semitism online through misinformation. If users had their identity verified, she said, they would “have to stand by what they say,” and it would neutralize bots run by rogue states. She added that “you’re gonna get some civility” when people know their pastors and families will be able to link them with what they say online.
Haley’s suggestion didn’t go down well with some of her fellow Republicans, though. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pointed out that the authors of the Federalist Papers were writing anonymously, and called Haley’s suggestion “dangerous and unconstitutional.” Others joined in. Turning Point USA chief Charlie Kirk said anonymity is “a core part of free speech,” while conservative radio host Dana Loesch said she was “a million percent against” this level of government control. Even tech billionaire Elon Musk weighed in, saying Haley “can stop pretending to run for president now.”
In the face of this opposition, Haley has partly backed down from her statements. On November 15, she said she didn’t object to Americans having anonymous accounts, but didn’t believe foreigners should be able to. In other words, a presidential candidate wants to make a law for everyone in the world except the one country our government can actually make laws for — this one.
Copyright 2023, UnitedVoice.com
