“Speaking Frankly | Censorship” Available Now Across CBS News’ Digital Properties

August 31, 2020 - According to a new Pew Research Center survey, more than half of Americans believe social media intentionally censors speech due to their political leanings or because of their identity. But the platforms aren’t actually violating the first amendment right to speech. The term ‘censorship’ as defined applies only to the government. These privately held platforms have the right to define, and to police speech through their own terms of service — but how they are applied isn’t always clear.

The newest CBSN Originals documentary, “Speaking Frankly | Censorship,”highlights analysis from Renee Diresta, Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, who states, “the question of who should regulate speech online is a challenging one...the answer is not the government. It does have to be the platforms. It's just that very few people like the idea of massive private companies regulating speech either.” It also sheds light on the seemingly inconsistent applications of corporate regulations and the lack of communication to those impacted.

“Speaking Frankly | Censorship,” is available now across all CBS News digital properties including CBSN, CBS News’ 24/7 streaming network. The documentary will also stream on CBSN on Sunday, August 30 at 8 p.m. ET.

“Censorship” is the third episode in the second season of the CBSN Originals series “Speaking Frankly,” which will dive into the cultural conversations that society as a whole has grappled with in the modern era.

The CBSN Originals documentary series, launched in January 2016, delivers immersive reports that take a deep dive into some of the key issues driving national and global conversations. To date, CBSN has streamed 61 Originals on a range of topics including the mass migration from Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, social media’s role in the violence against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, gender identity, and the dangerous journey to America through the Darien Gap, among others.

Catch up on the entire slate of CBSN Originals: https://cbsn.ws/2T1NRug

CBSN, CBS News’ streaming news service, is available live, 24/7 via CBSNews.com/live and on all CBS News mobile apps. Stream CBSN anytime, anywhere on your phone, tablet or connected device for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and game consoles like Xbox and PlayStation.

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