Additionally, 44% of government employees state that they want to restrict speech online.
By Madeleine Hubbard, January 10, 2022
Just over half of all Americans want free speech on social media, but a majority of Democrats want content offensive to “some people” to be censored, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday.
The survey found that 51% of American adults believe social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter should “allow free speech without interference,” down from 61% in 2018. More people believe social media companies should “regulate what is posted to make sure some people are not offended” than in 2018 at 23% versus 35%.
The poll of 1,000 American adults from Jan. 4-5, 2022, found that among Democrats, censorship more than doubled over four years. CNSNews reported that 25% of Democrats in Jan. 2018 expressed a desire for social media speech restrictions compared to 57% in Jan. 2022.
The wealthier a person is, the more likely he or she is to support censorship. Of people earning less than $30,000 annually, 27% support censorship, compared to 52% of people earning more than $200,000 a year, CNSNews stated.
Additionally, 44% of government employees state that they want to restrict speech online, making them more likely than respondents in other occupations to support censorship.