This is a scary revelation about how far government tyrants expanded during COVID.

Matt Taibbi, the investigative journalist who uncovered the Twitter files, is shining a light on how Australian media outlets have used freedom of information requests to expose how Australia’s Department of Home Affairs made 4,213 requests over three years to digital platforms to remove or restrict COVID-related commentary.

“Content-zapping requests down under came from something called the ‘Social Cohesion Division’ of the DHA’s ‘Extremism Insights and Communication’ office,” Taibbi reports. Among the posts targeted were jokes, tweets from people with literal handfuls of followers, and medical news that was either merely controversial or later proved correct. Even satirical commentary on masks was deemed too much for the fun police. In one case, a mere reply to a tweet saying “masks are useless” was considered to have contradicted “official information,” making it “potentially harmful.”

The first thing despots do when they grab power is squelch dissent. Just wait until the climate change police take charge.

Free speech will only remain free if it is fought for.