FreedomWorks Statement in Response to Surgeon General’s Request for Big Tech To Turn Over COVID-19 “Misinformation” Data

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s request for Big Tech companies to turn over data deemed “misinformation” regarding COVID-19, Adam Brandon, FreedomWorks President, commented:

“If you watched President Biden’s State of the Union address this week, you might think that America has finally turned the corner on draconic COVID-19 policies. If you thought this, you were wrong. Surgeon General Murthy’s request for Big Tech to turn over data that the government deems misinformation sets an awful precedent for Americans’ privacy and freedom of speech.”

“Surgeon General Murthy’s request for data is reminiscent of the spying policies of the War on Terror and should be treated as such. Not only does it infringe on Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights, the federal government has no constitutional role to decide what is and isn’t ‘misinformation.’”

“While it’s clear that Big Tech has silenced millions of Americans who have expressed their views on COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, that does not mean that the government’s request is proper. Big Tech’s role is not to silence views it disagrees with, but if the government has its way here, that’s exactly what will happen.”