.jpg?width=1200&auto=webp&crop=3%3A2&ssl=1 "Plans for media ‘accountability’ ‘Charlie Kirk Act’ go viral on X after shooting")
Public demand is surging to reinstate a Cold War-era media “accountability” law in response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with a petition calling for its revival gathering over 5,000 signatures in just 13 hours.
In the wake of 31-year-old Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University and the arrest of the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a groundswell of public demand has emerged to revive the Smith‑Mundt Act, a U.S. law once intended to limit the dissemination of propaganda, under a new name: the “Charlie Kirk Act.”
The push intensified after a TikTok by Ellie May, a self‑identified supporter of President Donald Trump, went viral, receiving over 1.9 million views on X after fellow MAGA supporter Nuke Taco shared it with her 89,100 followers.
In that video, May accused mainstream media of spreading lies and hateful rhetoric, holding them responsible for Kirk’s death, allegedly due to misinformation and conspiracy theories that spread rapidly across social media platforms.
AI‑generated images and false claims misidentifying the suspect were among the content circulated, some of which gained additional reach via Grok, X’s AI chatbot. It reportedly acknowledged errors only after several false posts had already gone viral.
Largely reading from the Change.org petition she created, May claimed media outlets regularly label people as “fascists,” “Nazis,” “white supremacists,” or “bigots” without evidence, contributing to public hostility. She argued that accountability should extend beyond traditional news outlets to include content creators who disseminate propaganda and half‑truths online.
“Each violation should be subject to a fine amounting to at least 35 percent of the company’s value,” May read from the online proposal she wrote. “Baseless accusations, such as labeling individuals as bigots, fascists, or racist, without verifiable proof, tarnish reputations and endanger lives. Such acts should not be tolerated and must invite strict accountability measures.”
Her petition, which has 5,000 signatures in less than a day since its launch, also includes the proposal of “stringent penalties for social media companies that censor information unfairly.”
“Each violation should be subject to a fine amounting to at least 35 percent of the company’s value,” Mat wrote. “Baseless accusations, such as labeling individuals as bigots, fascists, or racist, without verifiable proof, tarnish reputations and endanger lives. Such acts should not be tolerated and must invite strict accountability measures.”
May called on Trump in her video to restore the Smith‑Mundt Act, which she claimed was abolished in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden, and to rename it in Kirk’s honor.
Obama did not abolish the Smith-Mundt Act. Instead, his administration oversaw the passage of the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which amended parts of the original law.
The original 1948 act created a ban on the domestic dissemination of informational materials produced by the U.S. government for foreign audiences, like those from the Voice of America. The amendment, becoming effective on July 1, 2013, removed the domestic distribution ban on U.S. government-produced media intended for foreign audiences.
May also posted a follow-up video to X on Saturday addressing backlash she received for allegedly promoting media “censorship,” captioning the post, “Do not put words in my mouth that I didn’t say.”
“So here’s what we’re not going to do: We’re not going to conflate what I said with your feelings,” May said. “I’m not calling for censorship, I’m calling for media organizations to be held accountable for the ignorant s–t that they say.”
