The Censors Get Censored

One must have a heart of stone to read about the fate of Imram Ahmed without laughing, says Ben Pile.

On both sides of the Atlantic, the Christmas period saw a surge of approval for the Trump administration’s decision to sanction online censorship campaigners, alongside a great deal of European establishment hypocrisy in response. According to the BBC, on Christmas Eve five European ‘radical activists’, including two Britons, were denied U.S. visas. In the case of the founder of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Imran Ahmed, that likely means deportation and separation from his wife and child. Harsh. But it is precisely this type of state intervention that Ahmed, who has since won a temporary injunction against enforcement of the sanctions, has campaigned for. Are these censors now getting a taste of their own medicine?

CCDH claims it “delivers change by exposing hate and disinformation producers, galvanising support from the public and advertisers for tech reform, shaping informed debates, driving policy changes and collaborating with civil society leaders for social media reform”. ‘Hate’ and ‘disinformation’, however, are nebulous concepts. Hate, like anger, is an emotion which is usually managed in well-adjusted adults by conscience. Take a deep breath. Count to five. Go for a walk. Have a cup of tea.