The woke state of New York is using “hate speech” and “safety” to justify monitoring citizens’ social media accounts using surveillance technology.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who Sara Gonzales says “is in the competition for the worst ever,” recently came out with a statement claiming that New York is ramping up its surveillance protocols in an effort to counter online negativity.

“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. … Our Social Media Analysis Unit has ramped up its monitoring of sites to catch incitement to violence [and] direct threats to others, and all this is in response to our desire, our strong commitment to ensure that not only do New Yorkers be safe but they also feel safe,” Hochul stated.

“Of course, she is saying this in relation to the anti-Semitic attacks that are going on,” says Sara, who acknowledges that the “pro-Palestine rallies that are happening [are] very, very unnerving,” but that doesn’t excuse the “problems with government monitoring your speech on social media.”

Sara astutely points out that this is coming from the same party that said Donald Trump “incited violence … on January 6 when he told people to peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.”

That and the fact that people in the U.K. are literally being arrested for “deadnaming or misgendering someone online” in the name of “hate speech” has people concerned that Hochul’s efforts are about a lot more than just monitoring anti-Semitism.

The problem with policing people’s social media platforms for “hate speech” and “inciting violence” is the matter of who gets to determine how those terms are defined.

“Don’t get me wrong,” says Sara, “a credible threat is a credible threat and should be treated as such.”

Unfortunately, from what we’ve seen from the left, “hate speech” can be as benign as disagreeing with the newfound gender ideology, and “inciting violence” can amount to encouraging people to exercise their right to peacefully protest.

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