President-elect Trump’s FCC chair pick Brendan Carr has a monumental task ahead of him, Dr. Jordan Peterson warned Wednesday, and exposing Big Tech’s algorithmic grip on free speech is a good place to start.
“At minimum, he should ensure that we know how the algorithms operate on social media networks and how things are promoted and how things are hidden,” Peterson told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Fox & Friends.”
“Because the real danger, one of the real dangers that confronts us is that our discourse is going to be mediated by intelligence systems whose mechanisms are completely hidden from us, and that actually interferes with our perception, not just our conceptions, because what we see is pre-screened in ways that are invisible to us and increasingly automated, and that’s not that’s not a good harbinger for the future, let’s say. So transparency with regards to how things are promoted and demoted, that would be real helpful.”
The renowned Canadian psychologist is no stranger to censorship battles. Last year, Canadian officials forced him to undergo “social media training” over his controversial online posts about topics like gender-affirming care or face a disciplinary hearing and possible suspension of his clinical license. His X, formerly Twitter, account was also suspended in 2022 after he rebuked transgender actor Elliot Page, but was reinstated after Elon Musk assumed control of the platform.
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CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE – NOVEMBER 02: Jordan Peterson addresses students at The Cambridge Union on November 02, 2018 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Photo by Chris Williamson/Getty Images) (Chris Williamson/Getty Images)
Even today, Peterson says his free speech fight is “by no means over.”
Meanwhile in the U.S., incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr has cited tech censorship as one of the “top issues” to home in on once he commands the agency.
“Free speech is the bedrock of our democracy, and there’s been this unprecedented surge in censorship over the last couple of years, and we need to restore Americans’ First Amendment rights,” he said in part.
Dr. Peterson’s daughter Mikhaila, a podcaster and YouTuber, agreed with Carr’s remarks and said she’s hopeful he can “bring about some change.”
“We also have a bit of a problem with how many people get their news from TikTok is that we don’t even know how the TikTok algorithm works and whether news is getting pushed onto that. So, transparency there would be good…” she added.
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Dr. Peterson’s Twitter account was suspended after he criticized actor Elliot Page. His account was later restored when Elon Musk assumed control of the platform and rebranded it as X. ((AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Peterson said his license is still threatened in Canada, adding that he remains in the middle of an “intense battle” with the Ontario College of Psychologists and behavior analysts.
“To call them unreasonable is to barely even scratch the surface. I guess I’m pleased about that battle in some regards because… I was on the side of the angels, let’s say. For example, they’re after me, because of my opposition to the promotion of this mutilating trans surgery for children and the fact that I was an early adopter of that objection is looking pretty damn good,” he said.
“But no, it’s by no means over. Not in the least. They want to re-educate me. They’re organizing that right now, although the details have still remained frustratingly unclear. And Trudeau in Canada is doubling down on the free speech front in a terrible way.”
The Petersons also discussed President-elect Trump’s floated idea of dismantling the federal Department of Education and giving parents more authority over their children’s education.
Dr. Peterson suggested the change would offer a more “diverse” range of perspectives, giving conservatives a “fighting chance against the progressive mob.”
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Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.