False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim That Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives
January 2021
Do Facebook and Twitter suppress the political right?
The claim that social media companies censor conservatives has shaped debate about issues ranging from the fallout from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot to reform of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects platforms against liability for user posts and content moderation decisions. But the censorship claim is false, as our report demonstrates by analyzing available data and individual examples.
The aftermath of mob violence in Washington, D.C.
Conservatives have attacked Twitter’s decision, in the wake of the Capitol insurrection, to ban Donald Trump permanently. But Twitter did not act based on ideology. The former president repeatedly violated the platform’s rules and contributed to a real danger of further violence. By closely analyzing such episodes, the report clarifies the industry’s actual conduct and clears the way for needed reform.
Related
See allDigital Aftershocks: Online Mobilization and Violence in the United States
Our new report draws on open-source intelligence to trace how extremist actors coordinate across online platforms to justify violence and recruit supporters, offering a framework for policy and platform response.
Feedback on the European Commission’s Digital Fairness Act
The Working Group on Gaming and Regulation submitted feedback to the European Commission’s Digital Fairness Act, calling for clearer, better-enforced rules across Member States that close regulatory gaps without adding unnecessary complexity to the EU’s digital framework.
Feedback on the EU’s Consumer Agenda 2025–2030
The Working Group on Gaming and Regulation submitted feedback to the European Commission’s Consumer Agenda 2025–2030, urging the EU to strengthen enforcement against manipulative design practices in digital games and to modernize consumer protection rules for the digital marketplace.
Technology & Democracy

