Conservatives Are Walking Into a Trap on Antitrust | Opinion

Conservatives Are Walking Into a Trap on Antitrust | Opinion

As recently as a few years ago, most Republicans were unwilling to prevent private tech companies from censoring their users. In 2017 and 2018, when the GOP had unified control of government, nothing was done to regulate Big Tech. Even though Twitter and other platforms were hard at work deplatforming alt-right figures and Pizzagate conspiracists, most conservatives failed to see in this the slippery slope that would ultimately lead to censoring mainstream conservatives.

We now know better. What started as deplatforming hate speech and racists has led directly to silencing campaigns against views that fall afoul of liberal orthodoxy. And in response to expanded Silicon Valley censorship, it's now become common for Republicans to not just support anti-censorship rules but strict antitrust legislation to punish Big Tech.

This, however, is a mistake. The laws currently under consideration not only do nothing to address internet censorship, but may make it worse. By wanting to "do something" in this area, conservatives are in the process of failing to address the concerns of their voters—while giving Left-wing activists what they want.