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REVEALED: UNC researchers are promoting “militant platform democracy”—a framework for Big Tech to prevent political leaders they deem anti-democratic from taking power. They specifically name Trump, argue he should have been banned before January 6, and oppose his subsequent reinstatement. One of the authors, UNC professor Daniel Kreiss, has also been appointed to a research chair at the University of British Columbia backed by C$8 MILLION in Canadian federal funding over eight years. In an October 4 interview, Kreiss explained the objective of proactive platform moderation: “to prevent anti-democratic actors from taking power in the first place” He then singled out Trump: “Trump should have been de-platformed far before January 6th happened.” The paper, co-authored with researcher Lorcan Neill, also argues that Trump should not have been reinstated in 2023 or had remaining restrictions removed in 2024. Their framework is titled: “Militant Platform Democracy: A Framework for Democracy-Worthy Platform Policies.” UNC’s own summary explains that militant democracy allows democratic states to preemptively restrict the rights of individuals, groups and parties that threaten democratic institutions. The researchers propose applying that approach to social-media platforms. Their recommendations include: • Placing the democratic public’s rights above individual rights to expression on commercial platforms. • Drawing a red line around strategic efforts to undermine public faith in elections. • Assigning particular responsibility for democratic norms to political leaders and candidates. • Restricting platform access based on threats to democracy. Who would decide how those principles apply? Kreiss said: “We think platforms should decide for themselves” Neill said the framework could help trust-and-safety employees advocate for changes inside their companies. Meanwhile, UBC describes Kreiss’s new chair as an $8 million federal investment in democratic journalism. His research there will examine how journalism, digital platforms and new technologies shape democratic life.