Legislators demanding that private companies censor private citizens is a coercion and limitation on free speech and violation of the first amendment. It’s not suddenly legal or ethical or moral just because the government is outsourcing their censorship to the tech cartel. It’s also not suddenly legal or ethical or moral because the means of speech coercion is legislative action that may hurt these companies. These shameless legislators are anti free speech, and therefore anti American authoritarians, and should be recalled from their offices.
Interestingly enough Amazon is also running into a similar issue, with Senator Elizabeth Warren threatening to break them up (https://mobile.twitter.com/amazonnews/status/137552910193152...) - a private corporation - for having the temerity to speak against the government (which is comprised of legislators like her). Personally I do think these giant tech monopolies/oligopolies should face antitrust scrutiny, but not for their exercise of their right to free speech.
As an aside: I am very grateful there are still real journalists like Glenn Greenwald out there, fighting against our slow descent into illiberality. I’m happy to be able to support independent journalism directly instead of relying on big news media outlets.
