Hello folks,

As a quick recap, over the past 12 hours CNN has come under intense scrutiny after they sought out the doxx of the reddit user who posted the "Trump tackles CNN" gif from last week. CNN then threatened to release the doxx of that user unless said user "apologized for their prior speech and promised to change their opinions in the future" Going on to suggest that, were the user to not change his views in the future, the doxx would be released.

Those actions, in and of themselves, represent a grievous threat to the free exchange of ideas and information on the modern internet. While we may certainly disagree with the view points of others, threatening to doxx someone unless they "change their opinions" is fundamentally abhorrent in an epoch rooted in free expression.

That said, this goes beyond even the revered maxim of respecting the free flow of information. As , in fact, reporters such as Julian Assange have suggested that CNN not only broke federal law, but perhaps violated New York state law as well.

By way of explanation, 18 US. Code Section 241 says;

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)

-https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/241

In plain English; if you, as a private person, try to threaten someone (aka by saying you'll doxx them) in an attempt to undermine their speech rights (regardless of the moral content of that speech) then you have committed a serious crime.

In light of CNN engaging in a direct attack against the free exchange of information, and their apparent wanton violation of 18. U.S. Code Section 241, the mods of this subreddit reached out directly to the user-base to determine if banning direct links to the CNN domain was something which that user-base felt appropriate.

We do so in solidarity with /r/uncensorednews, and welcome other subs to join this "boycott" of sorts.

/r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut has also jointed this pseudo boycott.

After reviewing user input during that discussion, and coming to consensus as a mod team, we have decided to ban all direct links to any cnn websites going forward. Instead, please use http://archive.is/ if you are inclined to share a piece of information from that outlet.

In this way, the free flow of information will continue unabated but CNN will not be given ad revenue.

As a small addendum; if you come across another news outlet engaging in similar behavior, please send any relevant info to the modmail of this subreddit. We will review the information and update the list of excluded "threaten to doxx" sites as such.

Thank you and regards,

The /r/conspiracy mod team