BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Facebook received ample,
and well deserved, criticism
during the 2020 election cycle
for its proclivity towards censorship.
The social media giant’s
tendency is not restricted
to America. Observers across
the planet have levied charges
against Facebook for its apparent
comfort in cooperating
with repressive regimes who
seek to censor contrary views.
The BBC has reported that
Facebook worked on special
software that accommodates
China’s censorship demands.
In 2016, Reuters reported that
Facebook Inc. developed a censorship
tool to persuade Beijing
to allow it to work there.
Freedom House explains
that leaders in Beijing have
stepped up efforts to use digital
media to increase their
own power, both at home and
abroad…in 2018 its government
hosted media offi cials
from dozens of countries for
two- and three-week seminars
on its sprawling system of
censorship and surveillance.
Moreover, its companies have
supplied telecommunications
hardware, advanced facialrecognition
technology, and
data-analytics tools to a variety
of governments with poor
human rights records, which
could benefi t Chinese intelligence
services as well as repressive
local authorities.”
It is fair to ask whether its
efforts to kowtow to China include
its 2020 campaign of censorship
against the re-election
candidacy of Donald Trump,
who made opposing Beijing’s
global aggression a keystone
of his administration. At Senate
hearings held in November,
Facebook was severely
criticized for its censorship of
pro-Trump material.
The international publication
Zinfos-Moris noted in September
that “Facebook’s collusion
with the corrupt wealthy
and the dictators around the
world has been happening
for many years now…it has
not gone unnoticed that entrenched
authoritarian states,
like Russia and China, have
become very good at manipulating
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, F 44 EBRUARY 5-11, 2021 BTR
these platforms to marginalize
domestic dissidents
and destabilize democracies
abroad.”
Last April, Reuters reported
that Facebook’s local
servers in Vietnam were
taken offl ine until it agreed to
signifi cantly increase the censorship
of “anti-state” posts
for local users. Facebook offi
cials have confi rmed that it
has complied with the government’s
request to “restrict access
to content which Hanoi
deemed to be illegal”.
Amnesty has sharply criticized
the social media giant’s
acquiescence. William Nee,
Business and Human Rights
Advisor at Amnesty International,
states that “Facebook
must base its content regulation
on international human
rights standards for freedom
of expression, not on the arbitrary
whims of a rightsabusing
government. Facebook
has a responsibility to
respect freedom of expression
by refusing to cooperate with
these indefensible takedown
requests.”
It is important to note that
the objected-to content is not
violent or “criminal” in nature.
The material was a political
objection to the authoritarian
practices of the Hanoi
government. Vietnamese authorities
have a long track record
of characterizing legitimate
criticism as “anti-state”
and prosecuting human rights
defenders for “conducting propaganda
against the state.”
Nee adds that “Facebook’s
compliance with these demands
sets a dangerous precedent.
Governments around the
world will see this as an open
invitation to enlist Facebook
in the service of state censorship.
It does all tech fi rms a
terrible disservice by making
them vulnerable to the same
type of pressure and harassment
from repressive governments.”
Facebook’s growing comfort
with censorship at home
and abroad is a vastly troubling
reality. In nations such
as China, Russia, Iran, North
Korea and Vietnam, censorship
is a tool of government. In
free nations, many presumed
that the threat of censorship
had become obsolete. But with
the proclivity of social media
giants to accept, either on behalf
of their interests in operating
in authoritarian governments
abroad or in the pursuit
of their own generally leftist
ideological agendas at home,
the problem has re-arisen and
has emerged as the most signifi
cant threat to free speech
in many decades.
Editor’s note: All views
expressed in this column refl
ect the author’s opinion and
should be verifi ed by outside
sources.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Greetings again from Coronaville.
We’ll be trying for our
regular post 3rd Sunday meeting,
either virtual or in person
with virus protocols. The commander
will let us know which
one as soon as he can.
Sick call: Hope all is well,
had heard Tony F was not well.
Remember to stay in touch with
your chosen team (or any other
vet in need) to see if you can help
out. Are you guys are getting
your health veggies at Bronx
VA?
Don’t forget 4 Chaplains Mass,
have a great St. Valentine’s Day
and remember to fl y your fl ag on
President’s Day!
I’ve been passing on info about
the VA and community activities
of interest to vets. It’s by email to
members, so please pass the info
on if it can be of help to someone
else you know. If you know of any
time sensitive activities, please
let me or Adj. Colleen know so we
can get it out electronically.
Until Next Time: Good judgement
comes from experience. Unfortunately,
experience usually
comes from bad judgement.
CIVIC CENTER
Korony American
Legio Post 253
From Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BY COUNCILMAN
MARK GJONAJ
Our borough of the Bronx
has been disproportionately
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the city’s highest
rate of unemployment at
17.5%, 10% of Bronxites having
visited a soup kitchen in
October with 5% of those indicating
having “enough food to
eat” was their main concern,
and 20% of all Bronx residents
applied, it is abundantly
clear that the most vulnerable
members of our community
have been impacted further
by COVID, especially too with
regards to food security.
Coupled with one of the
highest rates of poverty in the
entire city and a per capita income,
the Bronx was already
in need of fi nancial aid and
support prior to COVID. Now
that these existing problems
have been aggravated, my offi
ce has taken upon itself a
whole host of food distributions
and other initiatives.
To date, my offi ce has distributed
over 71,000 food boxes
at 233 food distribution events.
We have worked with a number
of food pantries in our district,
including AAOHA on
Cruger Avenue and Harvest
Field Pantry on East Tremont,
hosting events at NYCHA
housing, churches, and senior
centers. In addition to food
distribution, my offi ce has distributed
over 60,000 protective
face masks at 216 PPE giveaway
events, participated in
149 weekly clean-ups of graffi
ti and debris at various district
locales, and addressed
over 2,000 constituent cases.
Our informational tele-townhalls
have garnered 2,584 attendees
throughout the pandemic,
and most recently our
COVID-19 testing efforts have
reached 1,358 constituents.
These constituent services offerings—
to keep our district
well-fed, healthy and safe—
will continue.
For the latest information
about upcoming events or any
concern that can be addressed
by my offi ce’s constituent services
team, please contact my
district offi ce at either MGjonaj@
council.nyc.gov or at
(718) 931-1721. Thank you and
continue to stay safe.
VISIT US AT BXTIME.COM
Superhero Day At St. Helena School
On the fi rst day of Catholic Schools Week, the second grade of St. Helena School offered a salute to
local healthcare superheroes. Photo by St. Helena School
/council.nyc.gov
link
link
/BXTIME.COM
