MassGOP Launching 'Anti-Censorship' Campaign

MASSACHUSETTS —The Massachusetts Republican State Committee is taking aim at social media companies by launching what it is calling an anti-censorship petition campaign.

After saying that "free speech has a home here," the party said it plans to use the campaign in an attempt to raise awareness about what it says is alarming censorship by companies like Facebook and Twitter.

"Big Tech has done everything from shutting down access to alternative social media sites to outright censoring factual news reports critical of their preferred presidential candidate," Republican State Committeeman Jay Fleitman said in an email announcing the initiative.

The campaign will include bumper stickers, signs and stand-outs.

It comes weeks after the committee passed a resolution "opposing all forms of censorship." The resolution appears to point to the handling of stories about then-candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter, Twitter and Facebook banning then-President Donald Trump and the crackdown of alternative social media platform Parler.

The state's Republican Party in January reelected former State Rep. Jim Lyons as chair in a narrow vote. Lyons, who has been critical of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, has overseen the party's move toward Trump.

Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Senate acquitted him this week of a charge that he incited the riot.