Freedom Matters: Tedesco on Corporate Censorship, Debanking
Typically, when we hear about current censorship issues, we think of instances of blackballing on social media, such as Twitter banning public figures from the platform or Facebook preventing users from sharing certain points of view.
But today’s increasing censorship problem encompasses so much more than that, and likely runs deeper than you know. Tech giants are controlling what you say and the news you see, but now even major financial institutions are under pressure to prevent companies and even individuals from accessing banking services based on the customer’s viewpoint.
In a new Freedom Matters video about the threat of corporate censorship, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco uses JPMorgan Chase Bank as an example. Last fall, the bank denied payment processing services to the conservative group Defense of Liberty, citing a vague terms of use policy.
“Although JP Morgan apologized and reversed course, we shouldn’t be duped,” says Tedesco. “We’ve seen this same tactic from social media companies: Apologize for censorship until you think you can get away with it, then stop apologizing.”
America’s biggest companies are violating free speech and trying to control what you say. That’s why the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index was created: to help companies get back on the right track and help you assess how companies are undermining free speech and religious freedom. Household company names such as Amazon, GoDaddy, and Chase Bank are providing essential services to millions of Americans every day—and in many cases, leveraging their power and resources to push forward an ideological agenda.
Unfortunately, Fortune 1000 companies have caved to the demands of activists on the left who want to use these companies to bypass federal and local governments in enforcing their social and political agenda. Our 2022 Business Index results are concerning: of the 50 benchmarked Fortune 1000 companies, computer software companies scored an average of 6%; internet and retailing averaged 8%; companies in financial and data services industry came in at 11%.
In a follow up conversation on corporate cancel culture, Tedesco spoke about the problem further, explaining just how entrenched Fortune 1000 companies are in practices that threaten free speech and religious freedom.
“The idea behind the Index is to first shed light on the problem,” he said, “but then to ultimately engage with these companies, give them model policies and practices, and to urge them to make changes that ultimately will make them institutions that protect and preserve these essential freedoms rather than be institutions that tear them down—which is where they’re headed right now.”
