Is Facebook secretly giving the FBI user information in violation of the the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986?

Maybe, according to FBI director Christopher Ray. He can’t say for sure.

Oh. Really?

The allegations that the FBI is doing a lot of shady things are not exactly new, although they are only sporadically covered in the MSM. After all, the MSM likes censorship–as long as it isn’t censorship of themselves. So if the FBI is helping censor us bad people, that is probably a good thing.

Hell, the MSM didn’t even mind when one of their own was called a spy and had his phone records seized–he was a Fox News guy, so big deal. Besides, Obama did it so that makes it OK. Gathering info on people not going along with The Narrative™ is A-OK.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday he can’t “be sure” whether Facebook is sending the bureau user information without official requests — after a recent report alleged the social media giant is flagging up information with a “partisan” slant.

House Judiciary Committee Republicans claimed earlier this month that the FBI receives “private user information from Facebook, but without the user’s consent or the legal process the FBI would otherwise need to independently pursue such user-related information.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) asked Wray during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing about the alleged partnership — named in the House report, based in part on whistleblower claims of pro-Democratic bias within the FBI, as “Operation Bronze Griffin.”

“Is Facebook or any other social media company supplying private messages or data on American users that is not compelled by the government or the FBI?” Paul asked Wray.

“Not compelled — in other words, not in response to the legal process?” Wray replied.

“No warrant, no subpoena — they’re just supplying you information on their users?” Paul clarified.

“I don’t believe so. But I can’t sit here and be sure of that as I sit here,” Wray said.

That’s fair enough, assuming it is true. While Wray is responsible for everything that happens at the FBI, even the best manager can be blindsided by what his or her employees do behind their back.

But I have my private doubts about Wray’s transparency on this issue, given what has been decisively established as fact already regarding their efforts to censor Facebook users. But so far what has been revealed about FBI pressuring social media companies to censor users needs to be adjudicated by the Courts regarding legality. It is immoral, likely unconstitutional, but hasn’t been decisively ruled illegal.

But collecting data on specific individuals without a warrant? That is a no-no, clearly. It violates a clear law.

As you may recall, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper perjured himself before Congress on just this sort of practice. When asked about collecting information on citizens. He lied, and now is a Left-wing hero. He is a CNN guru, as I recall. Perjury for the right cause is good for your career.

Then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper denied in March 2013 that the National Security Agency was collecting “any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans” when asked by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

“No, sir,” Clapper said. “Not wittingly.”

Months later, whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was mass-collecting domestic call records while also “partnering” with major tech companies to acquire user data through a program called PRISM.

The FBI would not confirm or deny the existence of Operation Bronze Griffin, but denied being politically biased in a statement earlier this month.

“Put quite simply: we follow the facts without regard for politics,” an FBI spokesperson told The Post. “While outside opinions and criticism often come with the job, we will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead, do things by the book, and speak through our work.”

Uh, no. I don’t believe Wray on that one. There is just way too much evidence that the FBI has become an explicit political ally of the Democrats, with armed raids on Biden opponents who present absolutely no threats to anybody. When you corner the MyPillow guy in a fast food drive through instead of knocking on his door, you are making a statement. It’s not like he is a fugitive difficult to find.

Facebook spokesman Andy Stone, a former Democratic staffer who announced plans in 2020 to reduce distribution of The Post’s scoops on documents from Hunter Biden’s laptop, also declined to confirm or deny the existence of Operation Bronze Griffin following the House report.

“On whether [Operation Bronze Griffin] exists, I’d refer you to the FBI,” Stone said, adding: “Any suggestion we seek out peoples’ private information on a partisan basis to provide it to the FBI is false and there is zero evidence to support it.”

Separately, The Intercept on Oct. 31 exposed an online gateway through which authorities with a government or law enforcement email address reportedly can request the removal of “misinformation” from Facebook or Instagram.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told The Post that West Wing staff don’t use the Facebook portal, even though her predecessor Jen Psaki said last year that the White House was “flagging” alleged misinformation to the company.

What stands out about all of these statements is one thing: they don’t specifically deny that they are exchanging the information; they deny they are doing it for partisan purposes.

That is quite an out, given that these days parents showing up at school board meetings are deemed terrorists by the Biden Administration and their allies. They are pulling a Clinton: it depends upon what the definition of “partisan.” Being conservative is not EXACTLY the same thing as being a Republican, after all.

They can do just about anything they want if they define a person as a national security threat, and I think you can be sure if your are reading this you are considered a national security threat. If a parent objecting to their daughter being raped in a bathroom is a terrorist, you likely are too.

That’s why all the kvetching about how pathetic Republicans are and threats to abandon the party are irresponsible. We should hold our allies accountable, but abandoning the country to Democrats is much worse than electing weak Republicans–most of whom will fight back against these abuses of power. Susan Collins may annoy you, but if she votes for a Republican Senate Majority Leader we need to reelect her.

Even if that leader is Cocaine Mitch. Do you prefer a Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. You don’t have a choice between a Beyond Meat Burger and a ribeye steak. You have Schumer and McConnell.

As much as it is emotionally satisfying to claim “they are all the same,” it really isn’t true. Most politicians are flawed power seekers. So it goes. But not all politicians are desperate to create a totalitarian state.

Don’t allow the totalitarians to take over completely.