Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
Private companies should not have a right to decide on basic democratic rights. Period.
nivek
As Above So Below
Twitter, Facebook banning of Trump continues crackdown on conservatives — censorship dangerous
Facebook and Twitter drew a bright and dangerous line in the online sand late this week by banning the sitting president of the United States from their platforms. They are treating President Trump as they do terrorists, mass murders, human traffickers and child molesters.
The Tech Titans claim they are preventing the dissemination of dangerous content. Yet the #hangMikePence threat has been trending unabated on Twitter. When it comes to President Trump, social media companies are taking the side of discrimination over freedom of expression.
People on all sides of the political spectrum should be alarmed instead of cheering Big Tech on. If the social media giants can block a Republican president from their platforms, they can also block Democratic elected officials and far-left groups.
It’s a safe bet that many of the people applauding the banning of President Trump by Twitter and Facebook would be outraged if the companies took the same action radical Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan in response to their inflammatory posts.
The rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday — leading to the deaths of five people — were not being patriotic, nor were they defending the Constitution. They are criminals. They are not representative of conservatives or Trump supporters. People of good conscience all condemn their thuggish and illegal actions.
White supremacist Richard Spencer, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, O.J. Simpson, Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, and Louis Farrakhan have more freedom on Twitter than President Trump.
But unfortunately, Big Tech companies appear to be using the riot as a justification for their already questionable approach to policing political speech.
For example, the companies have a record of suppressing stories that reflect poorly on Democrats, like the scandal surrounding President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter — who is being investigated by the Justice Department for possible tax law violations. But this is selective censorship.
The truth is that the banning of posts by President Trump is just the latest example of the steady efforts by social media companies and others on the left to silence conservative voices. The cancel culture has now created a new and unnerving phase of a societal purge for supposed wrongthink.
Over the years, there have been many inconsistencies in the application of the rules and standards of conduct on social media platforms. These overwhelmingly weigh against conservatives.
To their credit, Big Tech companies largely fended off calls from the left to take even more draconian steps to silence their political opponents — some more than others. Perhaps that was to stay in the good graces of the Trump administration, in fear of regulatory actions that could cost the companies huge sums of money.
But with President Trump now having just over a week left in office and many Democrats calling for his impeachment, the social media companies have become emboldened to act against him.
Going forward, no individual or group is safe. As a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union — no bastion of conservatism — noted in a statement: "We understand the desire to permanently suspend him [Trump] now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions — especially when political realities make those decisions easier."
The ACLU has pulled no punches in criticizing President Trump and his administration, but the liberal group realizes that the constitutional right to free speech belongs to all people, even when that speech is unpopular.
With their drastic action against President Trump, the social media companies can no longer feign being unbiased and apolitical. Nor do they have to. They have little reason to be restrained.
President-elect Biden is sympathetic to Big Tech, as was President Obama, who Biden served as vice president. Now we should all be concerned that Biden and a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and Senate will pursue policies that liberal, Silicon Valley types demand to silence conservative voices.
It is becoming more and more difficult for free-marketers who believe in the concept of free speech to oppose government actions to regulate technology. Many of us have balanced our frustrations with instances of censorship against the tremendous value that social media have provided. We have faith that the market, not government, is the best way to make sure that a marketplace of ideas remains free.
(More on the link)
.
Facebook and Twitter drew a bright and dangerous line in the online sand late this week by banning the sitting president of the United States from their platforms. They are treating President Trump as they do terrorists, mass murders, human traffickers and child molesters.
The Tech Titans claim they are preventing the dissemination of dangerous content. Yet the #hangMikePence threat has been trending unabated on Twitter. When it comes to President Trump, social media companies are taking the side of discrimination over freedom of expression.
People on all sides of the political spectrum should be alarmed instead of cheering Big Tech on. If the social media giants can block a Republican president from their platforms, they can also block Democratic elected officials and far-left groups.
It’s a safe bet that many of the people applauding the banning of President Trump by Twitter and Facebook would be outraged if the companies took the same action radical Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan in response to their inflammatory posts.
The rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday — leading to the deaths of five people — were not being patriotic, nor were they defending the Constitution. They are criminals. They are not representative of conservatives or Trump supporters. People of good conscience all condemn their thuggish and illegal actions.
White supremacist Richard Spencer, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, O.J. Simpson, Venezuelan Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, and Louis Farrakhan have more freedom on Twitter than President Trump.
But unfortunately, Big Tech companies appear to be using the riot as a justification for their already questionable approach to policing political speech.
For example, the companies have a record of suppressing stories that reflect poorly on Democrats, like the scandal surrounding President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter — who is being investigated by the Justice Department for possible tax law violations. But this is selective censorship.
The truth is that the banning of posts by President Trump is just the latest example of the steady efforts by social media companies and others on the left to silence conservative voices. The cancel culture has now created a new and unnerving phase of a societal purge for supposed wrongthink.
Over the years, there have been many inconsistencies in the application of the rules and standards of conduct on social media platforms. These overwhelmingly weigh against conservatives.
To their credit, Big Tech companies largely fended off calls from the left to take even more draconian steps to silence their political opponents — some more than others. Perhaps that was to stay in the good graces of the Trump administration, in fear of regulatory actions that could cost the companies huge sums of money.
But with President Trump now having just over a week left in office and many Democrats calling for his impeachment, the social media companies have become emboldened to act against him.
Going forward, no individual or group is safe. As a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union — no bastion of conservatism — noted in a statement: "We understand the desire to permanently suspend him [Trump] now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions — especially when political realities make those decisions easier."
The ACLU has pulled no punches in criticizing President Trump and his administration, but the liberal group realizes that the constitutional right to free speech belongs to all people, even when that speech is unpopular.
With their drastic action against President Trump, the social media companies can no longer feign being unbiased and apolitical. Nor do they have to. They have little reason to be restrained.
President-elect Biden is sympathetic to Big Tech, as was President Obama, who Biden served as vice president. Now we should all be concerned that Biden and a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and Senate will pursue policies that liberal, Silicon Valley types demand to silence conservative voices.
It is becoming more and more difficult for free-marketers who believe in the concept of free speech to oppose government actions to regulate technology. Many of us have balanced our frustrations with instances of censorship against the tremendous value that social media have provided. We have faith that the market, not government, is the best way to make sure that a marketplace of ideas remains free.
(More on the link)
.
Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
It is intolerable and illegal for a multinational corporation to deprive one of his or her constitutional rights.
It is far-right today, but tomorrow it could be anybody else.
Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
Now Google, Apple and Amazon are banning Parler, just because it is used by right wing inclined.
Parler social media app removed from Google Play Store - CNN
For the record, I am center left, and sometimes ultra left. But this is an issue of overall freedom of speech and fundamental democratic freedom.
Parler social media app removed from Google Play Store - CNN
For the record, I am center left, and sometimes ultra left. But this is an issue of overall freedom of speech and fundamental democratic freedom.
Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The shadow
The shadow knows!
Parler is gone tonight.
Parler At Risk Of Going Offline After Bans From Amazon, Apple And Google
Parler At Risk Of Going Offline After Bans From Amazon, Apple And Google
nivek
As Above So Below
nivek
As Above So Below
Yep, and proves a concerning point when they still allow overseas terrorists to spew their rhetoric whilst silencing political opposition and groups in our own country...This is the stuff dictators do but its big tech doing it in America...
...
Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
Gab is gaining 10,000+ subscribers per hour:
Gab gaining 10,000 users per hour, CEO claims, after Trump's permanent Twitter suspension
don't let corporations take over our democracy.
Gab gaining 10,000 users per hour, CEO claims, after Trump's permanent Twitter suspension
don't let corporations take over our democracy.
pigfarmer
tall, thin, irritable
Oh God. I have to say it in public.
Birth of Radio and eventual creation of FCC to ensure that idle stupidity doesn't interfere with maritime and other essential functions.
Remember when broadcasters were required to have a news segment as a public service? And it actually WAS news.
Death of Ma Bell. Divestiture. 1984. Telecom Act of 1996 requiring equal network access to private competitive carriers.
Ancient news - but when it was really the only massive public network it was a great, big weasel deal.
Break up big communications monopolies, require competitive access, attempt to restrict some things while allowing most to pass unmolested. So we've had problems like this before and managed to get past them.
Until now.
Birth of Radio and eventual creation of FCC to ensure that idle stupidity doesn't interfere with maritime and other essential functions.
Remember when broadcasters were required to have a news segment as a public service? And it actually WAS news.
Death of Ma Bell. Divestiture. 1984. Telecom Act of 1996 requiring equal network access to private competitive carriers.
Ancient news - but when it was really the only massive public network it was a great, big weasel deal.
Break up big communications monopolies, require competitive access, attempt to restrict some things while allowing most to pass unmolested. So we've had problems like this before and managed to get past them.
Until now.
Standingstones
Celestial
I know this happens with YouTube but I see people will be banned on social media if someone says or does something that pisses off another person. You don’t like something I said online so you complain and have me banned without recourse. It seems we are heading that way if we aren’t already there.
pigfarmer
tall, thin, irritable
cancel culture + big tech collusion = right thinking is rewarded/incorrect thinking is banished
Dejan Corovic
As above, so bellow
All that Big Tech is going to achieve is to move conservatives off onto their own platforms where they'll multiply and get much stronger. All this censorship is just adding fuel to the radical right's fire.
nivek
As Above So Below
How come there is no disclaimer nor deleting of this tweet about election chicanery?...Hypocrisy at it's finest...
twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/864522009048494080
(I copied this post here as it's relevant to this thread as well)
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twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/864522009048494080
(I copied this post here as it's relevant to this thread as well)
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