Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told Newsmax on Monday that the left is using its pull with companies like AT&T, DirecTV, Apple, and Google to "attack" free speech.
"Tomorrow evening, after votes on the House floor, a group of a dozen Republican members of Congress are going to be joining me to speak out on the issue of how the left is attacking conservative speech," Buck said during "The Chris Salcedo Show" on Monday. "[DirecTV cutting Newsmax from its service] being the most recent and prime example of what's going on."
The satellite television provider, owned by AT&T, removed the conservative news channel from its service last week, denying its 13 million subscribers access to the channel.
"On multiple occasions, we made it clear to Newsmax that we wanted to continue to offer the network," a DirecTV spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek on Jan. 25. "But ultimately, Newsmax's demands for rate increases would have led to significantly higher costs that we would have to pass on to our broad customer base."
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy disputed that claim.
"That is simply false," Ruddy said in the report. "DirecTV knows that no operator pays a fee while Newsmax streams free."
Buck said the censorship is needed by the left because the speech by conservatives is usually proved right.
"The left will not allow [conservative] speech now — it's because we're so right with what we're saying, and just getting information out is a threat to their socialist agenda," Buck said. "So, we will absolutely be detailing what's going on with Newsmax, AT&T, and DirecTV as well as other examples of this outrageous conduct."
Buck is also the author of "Crushed: Big Tech's War on Free Speech" which "exposes the bullying and predatory behavior from the Big Tech giants who have used their technologies and their unbelievable market shares to stifle commerce and censor free speech. He spells out the inside details of how these companies restrict free markets, stop competition, increase prices, and ultimately hurt consumers. Even worse, Big Tech companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook are actively censoring conservative news and views, as they openly manipulate information provided to voters. Ken Buck shows how these tech giants are true monopolies and their concentrated power pose a serious danger for our democracy," according to the book’s listing on Amazon.
In the book, Buck said he highlights how the left deplatformed the social media company Parler, which worked like Twitter, by removing it from the Apple Store and Google Play as well as Amazon Web Services removing it from its web hosting operation.
"The allegation was that people that were in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were using Parler," Buck said. "Well, guess what? They were also using Twitter, and they were also using Facebook. But they didn't do anything to Twitter and Facebook because they were woke."
Actions to Take Now
1. DirecTV customers: Call them toll free at 877-763-9762 and demand they bring NEWSMAX back on air. President Trump urges you CANCEL!
- Important: If DirecTV tells you we're still negotiating, that is a lie! They have told NEWSMAX we will never be on a regular cable channel. DirecTV also replaced NEWSMAX with a channel that has no news and no ratings. Also, NEWSMAX's livestream is ending soon on other platforms, so unless you get it on DirecTV you will have to cancel their service.
2. AT&T customers: Call toll free at 888-855-2338, for any of their cellphones, wireless products, or services, and demand they end their censorship of NEWSMAX. President Donald Trump has urged you to cancel their services.
3. Call your congressman or senator at 202-224-3121 and demand they stop AT&T/DirecTV’s censorship of NEWSMAX — ask them to give you a date on the hearings!
4. Go to our online petition and get more info at: iWantNewsmax.com.