Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) is planning this week on reintroducing legislation that would compel social media companies to inform federal officials of “terrorists” using their services.
Feinstein told reporters that she felt the move was necessary in the wake of the Dec. 2 shootings in San Bernardino, Calif.
“This is the largest attack since 9/11,” she told The San Francisco Chronicle late last week. “We are in a different age.”
“I’m all for freedom of speech, but it doesn’t mean encouraging terrorism,” she also remarked.
The hawkish senator noted that Tashfeen Malik, the Pakistani-born woman who helped carry out the attacks, pledged allegiance on Facebook before the massacre to the Islamic State (ISIL).
“If you find a terror site, you have to report it,” Feinstein said.
The proposal had initially been introduced as part of this year’s intelligence policy bill. After Senate Intelligence Committee member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) objected, the provisions were removed.
“Internet companies should not be subject to broad requirements to police the speech of their users,” he said in July, adding that he hadn’t heard national security officials “suggest that this provision will actually help catch terrorists.”
“I take the concerns that have been raised about its breadth and vagueness seriously,” Wyden noted.
Just before the dispute, FBI Director James Comey called Feinstein’s proposal “an interesting idea” but did not endorse it.
