In a recent decision on June 26, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Murthy v. Missouri, rejecting several states’ efforts to block the federal government from working with Big Tech to censor speech. This decision permits continued government collaboration with technology giants, raising concerns about Americans’ right to free speech and its impact on the upcoming 2024 election.

Daniel Cochrane, senior research associate at The Heritage Foundation’s Tech Policy Center, issued a statement on the ruling. He argued that the government, alongside tech companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon, has been suppressing dissenting opinions on topics such as COVID-19 vaccines, lockdown policies, and the 2020 presidential election’s integrity. Cochrane urged Congress and states to act, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability from these tech platforms.

The potential influence of Big Tech on public opinion is substantial. By censoring certain voices and guiding users toward specific content, these companies can shape the political landscape. An example is the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story by Facebook and Twitter before the 2020 election, which likely influenced its outcome, according to a McLaughlin and Associates poll.

Companies like Google also manipulate search results and user feeds, potentially swaying voting behavior. Research by Robert Epstein revealed that Google targeted go-vote reminders to liberal users during the 2020 Georgia U.S. Senate runoff, presumably to boost Democratic turnout. Facebook has similarly sent targeted go-vote reminders since at least 2008, increasing overall voter turnout by 340,000 in 2010.

Daniel Cochrane suggests that due to Big Tech’s questionable actions around elections and political information, Congress and the states must promptly initiate investigations and demand transparency before November. He recommends that platforms disclose all factors used to target or personalize election information, such as go-vote reminders. Lawmakers, state attorneys general, and election officials should verify that platforms are not using partisan go-vote and registration notifications to influence votes towards certain political candidates.

One effective measure would be for platforms to archive their election-related messages and provide detailed breakdowns of how users are targeted in each voting precinct. Additionally, Congress and the states should require platforms to report any changes to content policies and algorithms at least through November.