White House escalates war against tech giants with a campaign asking users to share stories of censorship

The White House on Wednesday escalated its war against Silicon Valley when it announced an unprecedented campaign asking Internet users to share if they had been censored on Facebook, Google and Twitter, tapping into President Donald Trump's long-running claim that tech giants are biased against conservatives.

The effort, which the White House said on Twitter was directed at users "no matter your views," seeks to collect names, contact information and other details from Americans. The survey asks whether they have encountered problems on Facebook, Instagram, Google-owned YouTube, Twitter or other social media sites - companies the president frequently takes aim at for alleged political censorship.

The survey claims that "too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies."

The White House also asked users for permission to send new email newsletters about "President Trump's fight for free speech," so that the administration "can update you without relying on platforms like Facebook and Twitter." The president, a prolific Twitter user, regularly blasts out his political thoughts to more than 60 million followers on the site.

The Trump administration declined Wednesday to address what it planned to do with the data it's amassing, including whether it seeks to regulate social-media platforms. "The White House wants to hear from all Americans - regardless of their political leanings - if they have been impacted by bias on social media platforms," spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

For their part, Facebook, Google and Twitter long have denied that they engage in political censorship. Facebook and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Twitter stressed it enforces its rules "impartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation."

The new online campaign marks Trump's latest attack on the tech industry, which he has threatened to regulate in response to allegations that the companies censor right-leaning users and websites. Trump's broadsides have resonated among upper echelons of the Republican Party, which has grilled tech executives at multiple congressional hearings - and has used the fodder for campaign fundraising.

In its new online campaign, the White House's form asks people to detail whether Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or others "took action against your account," and asked for usernames or links to users' profiles or specific posts, including tweets, that may have been flagged by one of the tech companies. The White House also asked to see copies of notifications that social-media sites sent to users when they take action against their posts, photos or videos.