Because controlling the narrative is how powerful interests have maintained control of our society for a century. For the first time (due to the internet) there is no centralized control of information. The failure of the ruling class to anoint their chosen candidate Hillary Clinton, despite the backing of every institution and media outlets (to an ignorant, boorish carnival barker, no less) was a wake up call for the ruling elite. They are desperate to regain control of the information flow, which is resulted in coordinated campaign to silence and/or marginalize voices that threaten their information monopoly. The Russiagate nonsense, the "hate speech" nonsense, the nonsense about "weaponizing the First Amendment" all comes from the same crowd of authoritarians whose goal is to stifle free speech and end the free and open exchange of information.