Government and social media join forces to block participation • Kansas Reflector

Sometimes you have to take a step back to see what’s in front of you.

This alarming fact struck me last week as I witnessed firsthand how institutional forces conspired to deny Kansans the ability to vote for the candidates of their choice. I don’t think the parties involved met in a smoke-filled room to make their decisions, but they have nevertheless aligned themselves against pluralist democracy and encouraged rampant authoritarianism.

On Wednesday, Facebook deleted our post that referenced freelancer Grace Hills’ simple story about how Kansas can vote in the upcoming election. With the voter registration deadline set for October 15, the story was a timely reminder of how Kansans can participate in the political life of their state.

But Facebook didn’t want you to see it, saying it “appears that you have attempted to gain video likes, follows, shares or views in a deceptive manner.” Not only could we not publish the article, but neither could the followers of the Kansas Reflector. The platform has at various times shut down pages belonging to the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County and the Kansas Reflector. Meta, the parent company behind Facebook, appears to have deployed an artificial intelligence bot that mistakenly targets innocuous political material.

An Alliance for Youth Organizing press conference on Thursday featured Loud Light President Davis Hammet at a panel discussion with youth suffrage advocates from across the country. Hammet explained how the Kansas Legislature passed the bill that essentially shut down voter registration drives previously conducted by Loud Light, the League of Women Voters and other groups. In theory, those who carry out these types of actions could be prosecuted if someone mistakes them for government officials, leading to uncertainty and legal exposure. A judge eventually blocked enforcement of the law this summer.

“The reason this really matters is that when you register someone to vote when they’re 18 or 19, they’re more likely to vote for the rest of their lives,” Hammet said on the call. “And the opposite is true. When they’re denied that opportunity to register, to engage, they’re less likely to participate. Not just in elections, but in civic life in general for the rest of their lives. life. Therefore, the suppression of voters, but especially the suppression of the voter register, causes irreparable damage, not only to young voters, but to our entire country and the idea of ​​democracy.”

I didn’t want to just write about Facebook removing links to our article. And while advocating for the youth vote matters a lot, Kansas Reflector reporters have covered this story. (The columnists have assumed it, too.)

But then it hit me: this is the same story. This is the same story.

This is a story about powerful institutions at the state and national level that have decided they want to make it difficult for people to participate in the political process. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has apparently grown bitter about the entire political process and reconciled with former President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Kansas lawmakers have routinely found themselves in the thrall of charlatans who claim voter fraud is an urgent threat.

Instead of pulling a nerve and moving forward with what is obviously the right path: involving people of all ages in the democratic process, the Kansas Legislature and the social media oligarchs have decided to shut it all down. Or get as close as they can.

We have no idea how many young people in Kansas lost their chance to register through a campaign by Loud Light or other civic organizations. They can be silenced for decades to come. Likewise, we have no idea how many people browsing Facebook last week might have seen a link to the Hills story and clicked through to learn more about participating in the political process. Facebook didn’t just delete the story, it deleted it, leaving them with no chance.

At bottom, Trump and his venomous supporters have continued to claim without foundation or justification that the 2020 election was stolen and that the 2024 election may be rigged as well. The first didn’t happen, and the second won’t happen either.

But that’s not the point. These political actors hope to use confusion and anti-democratic messages to suppress electoral participation and advance their own political project. It’s an absolute scandal. No matter your party, no matter your ideology, no matter your age or background, recognize the threat.

Our individual rights do not come from Facebook. They are not granted by short-sighted Kansas lawmakers. They don’t come out of one campaign office or another. Our rights belong to us and us alone, as Kansans and Americans. We have the right to guide our government. We have the right to speak out against those who would silence us.

We will only be repressed if we allow ourselves to be.

Clay Wirestone is opinion editor for the Kansas Reflector. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of those affected by public policy or excluded from the public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own comment, here.