GOP candidate Nikki Haley calls for abolishing anonymity on social media

Nov 15, 2023

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Verification on social media in the name of national security, that’s what Nikki Haley is advocating for. The GOP presidential candidate told voters on Fox News that if elected, one of her first acts would be to direct a bold new verification policy for social media.

Super messed up. She can stop pretending to run for president now.
Elon Musk

“Every person on social media should be verified by their name,” Haley said. “First of all, it’s a national security threat; when you do that, all of a sudden, people have to stand by what they say.”

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Those comments set up a wave of reaction from across the political spectrum.

This is an outrageous and dangerous proposal by Nikki Haley.

It’s the kind of change that a fascist demands but she’s doing it under the guise of civility and getting rid of bots.

She says that requiring people to verify their identity for social media will get rid of… pic.twitter.com/CbEFJIsKgj
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 15, 2023

Haley’s GOP presidential primary opponent, Ron DeSantis, called her plan unconstitutional. The Florida governor included a nod to America’s founding fathers, who used a collective pseudonym when writing the Federalist Papers.

You know who were anonymous writers back in the day? Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison when they wrote the Federalist Papers.

They were not "national security threats," nor are the many conservative Americans across the country who exercise their Constitutional… https://t.co/YkAGMhUVCX
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 15, 2023

Haley is making the case to voters that abolishing anonymous speech on social media should be a priority.

“It gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots, and the Chinese bots,” Haley said. “And then you are going to get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say, and they know their pastor, their family members are going to see it. It is going to help our kids, and it’s going to help our country.”

Super messed up. She can stop pretending to run for president now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 15, 2023

A 2013 Pew Research report on online privacy and security found that 59% of internet users believe anyone should be able to use the internet completely anonymously, and 86% of those surveyed have taken steps to remain anonymous online. One of the main reasons to avoid being tracked by the government.

Haley’s comments come the same week Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul announced New York’s social media surveillance efforts to combat a rise in antisemitism and hate speech.

“We’re very focused on the data we’re collecting from surveillance efforts what’s being said on social media platforms and we have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech being spoken about on online platforms,” Hochul said.

On CNBC Wednesday, Nov. 15, Haley walked back her stance on anonymity online, saying people should still be able to post anonymously. Haley added that she is trying to address what she calls widespread information warfare from China, Iran, and Russia.

Tags: 2024 Elections, China, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Iran, Kathy Hochul, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Russia, Social Media

VERIFICATION IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY.

THAT’S WHAT NIKKI HALEY IS ADVOCATING FOR.

THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TELLING VOTERS ON FOX NEWS- ONE OF HER FIRST ACTS IF ELECTED- WOULD BE TO DIRECT BOLD NEW POLICY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA…

Nikki Haley: “…every person on social media should be verified by their name. First of all its a national security threat, when you do that all of the sudden people have to stand by what they say.”

THOSE COMMENTS SET UP A WAVE OF REACTION – FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.

HER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENT RON DESANTIS CALLING HER PLAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

THE FLORIDA GOVERNOR INCLUDED A NOD TO AMERICA’S FOUNDING FATHERS WHO

USED A COLLECTIVE PSEUDONYM WHEN WRITING THE FEDERALIST PAPERS…

ELON MUSK ALSO TOOK EXCEPTION TO HALEY’S REMARKS

WRITING: “SUPER MESSED UP. SHE CAN STOP PRETENDING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT NOW.”

HALEY IS MAKING THE CASE TO VOTERS THAT ABOLISHING ANONYMOUS SPEECH ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD BE A PRIORITY:

Haley: “It gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots, and the Chinese bots.. And then you are going to get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say, and they know their pastor, their family members are going to see it.. It is going to help our kids and its going to help our Country.”

A PEW RESEARCH REPORT ON PRIVACY AND SECURITY ONLINE FOUND 59-PERCENT OF INTERNET USERS BELIEVE ANYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE INTERNET COMPLETELY ANONYMOUSLY –

AND 86-PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS ONLINE.

ONE MAIN REASON: TO AVOID BEING TRACKED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

HALEY’S COMMENTS COME THE SAME WEEK DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL ANNOUNCED NEW YORK’S SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEILLANCE EFFORTS TO COMBAT A RISE IN ANTISEMITISM AND HATE SPEECH.

Hochul: “We’re very focused on the data we’re collecting from surveillance efforts what’s being said on on social media platforms and we have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech being spoken about on on online platforms.”

ON CNBC WEDNESDAY HALEY WALKED BACK HER STANCE ON ANONYMITY ONLINE SAYING PEOPLE SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO POST ANONYMOUSLY.

SHE ADDED THAT SHE IS TRYING TO ADDRESS WHAT SHE CALLS WIDESPREAD INFORMATION-WARFARE FROM CHINA – IRAN – AND RUSSIA.