Censorship and Big Tech

posted by like_that

The free market is not supposed to be comfortable, but when shit like this happens we see knee jerk decisions made all of the time. 

People have been talking about this for at least a few years, since the millennials freaked out when they finally realized how Google makes its money (as if it was some big mystery).  Millenials are VERY concerned about privacy, free speech not so much.

And, IMO, if the antitrust laws had been properly applied we might not be here.  Google wouldn't have been allowed to buy Youtube.  Facebook wouldn't have been able to buy Instagram.  And so on.

It's ironic that Big Tech, which have been crying about Section 230 all year (a.k.a "we shouldn't be held liable for what individuals post"), are blocking Parler because of what users are posting there.

Maybe "breakup" is too extreme and unnecessary.  But they are publishers, and they need to be regulated as such.  They DEFINITELY should not be able to hide behind Section 230, which is actually intended to protect new/growing companies like Parler, and not giant enterprises that have nearly unlimited resources.

posted by gut

People have been talking about this for at least a few years, since the millennials freaked out when they finally realized how Google makes its money (as if it was some big mystery).  Millenials are VERY concerned about privacy, free speech not so much.

And, IMO, if the antitrust laws had been properly applied we might not be here.  Google wouldn't have been allowed to buy Youtube.  Facebook wouldn't have been able to buy Instagram.  And so on.

It's ironic that Big Tech, which have been crying about Section 230 all year (a.k.a "we shouldn't be held liable for what individuals post"), are blocking Parler because of what users are posting there.

Maybe "breakup" is too extreme and unnecessary.  But they are publishers, and they need to be regulated as such.  They DEFINITELY should not be able to hide behind Section 230, which is actually intended to protect new/growing companies like Parler, and not giant enterprises that have nearly unlimited resources.

Exactly why I predict we will see a good amount of lawsuits. Big tech companies are contradicting themselves with their words and actions. They are opening themselves up, and it will be interesting to see if some of these cases reach high level judges.  If it comes down to that, history has shown us in the last couple of decades it sometimes comes down to where the judges lean. 

I never expected the case against Trump regarding whether he was allowed to block people on social media to get anywhere, until a federal judge ruled he was not allowed to block anyone.  A precedent was set right there for courts to make rulings on similar cases, so now I won’t be surprised by anything. 

posted by like_that

Exactly why I predict we will see a good amount of lawsuits....I never expected the case against Trump regarding whether he was allowed to block people on social media to get anywhere, until a federal judge ruled he was not allowed to block anyone.  A precedent was set right there for courts to make rulings on similar cases, so now I won’t be surprised by anything.

Hard to say.  I don't think legal challenges will get very far - big tech will hide behind contracts, and politics is not a protected class to base discrimination suits on.  It would also seem hard to make the case that it's anti-competitive behavior because of politics.

But who knows.  It would be funny if Amazon responded to Parler's claims of economic damage with how much free publicity they've generated for them.

Ya'll saw AOC asking Apple and Google to go after others/do more, yes?

Also, Twitter Public Policy - after perm banning Trump and several other conservatives - just dropped this gem about an hour ago (thread):

Ahead of the Ugandan election, we're hearing reports that Internet service providers are being ordered to block social media and messaging apps.

We strongly condemn internet shutdowns – they are hugely harmful, violate basic human rights and the principles of the #OpenInternet.

— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 12, 2021

AOC references

What are @Apple and @GooglePlay doing about this? https://t.co/Upb2BxZOQZ

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 8, 2021

Good to see this development from @Apple. @GooglePlay what are you going to do about apps being used to organize violence on your platform? https://t.co/wWVSERcRSH

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 8, 2021

Oh and let's not forget that FB just suspended Ron Paul's ability to manage his account.

posted by geeblock

That’s because it never happened lol 

That's bull shit and anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows it. 

posted by CenterBHSFan

We strongly condemn internet shutdowns – they are hugely harmful, violate basic human rights and the principles of the #OpenInternet.

— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 12, 2021

Pretty unbelievable.  But not sure it's that hypocritical - very different trying to squash violent and dangerous rhetoric vs. blanket govt censorship.

But I wonder if the FBI wasn't shaking their heads like "what are you doing - on Parler they were all there and out in the open....you just made our job 100X harder"

Also, when the hell did the leftwing radicals start caring about violence against police?

posted by gut

Also, when the hell did the leftwing radicals start caring about violence against police?

Because AOC said that about 1/2 of Congress was almost killed. 

posted by gut

Pretty unbelievable.  But not sure it's that hypocritical - very different trying to squash violent and dangerous rhetoric vs. blanket govt censorship.

Remember before the election with the NYPost came out with the Hunter Biden story and FB/Twitter throttled them and anybody else who tried to tweet the story out? During an election?

This tweet is a good rough outline

Sadly, you gave autocratic regimes a pass with your own behaviour. Do you recall shutting down the @nypost ? You have done enormous damage to the notion of open internet and lost moral authority to criticise regimes that are simply following your bad example.

— Jude Byamukama (@Jbyam1) January 12, 2021

Government ordering ISPs to block sites is not close to the same as Private Company Twitter blocking certain people.

You can disagree with Twitters decision, but those 2 things aren’t even close to the same. Bad comparison.

posted by CenterBHSFan

Remember before the election with the NYPost came out with the Hunter Biden story and FB/Twitter throttled them and anybody else who tried to tweet the story out? During an election?

Didn't someone sue, or attempt to prosecute, the publisher of the National Enquirer for buying the rights for the story of some floosy's affair with Trump and then burying it?

I remember people were saying it was a campaign finance violation.  Well, that sounds an awful lot like what FB/Twitter would be guilty of with the Hunter Biden stuff.

Maybe there's some hope for optimism that the bias/agenda in media and tech is pretty out in the open now, and that will alarm moderate voters and easily give the House to the Repubs in 2022. 

posted by Laley23

Those 2 things aren’t even close to the same. Bad comparison.

I don't know if Twitter is guilty of it specifically, but none of these big tech companies that bowed to China's censorship should ever talk about open internet again.  That would be like Nike crusading for fair labor standards.

You'd think we were in China

.............oh, wait

posted by gut
I don't know if Twitter is guilty of it specifically, but none of these big tech companies that bowed to China's censorship should ever talk about open internet again.  That would be like Nike crusading for fair labor standards.

Hey, I don’t disagree. Just pointing out the apples to oranges comparison that was made.

Did ya'll scroll down and read the thread? I'm pretty sure I noted it was a thread. 

While they are specifically detailing their reasoning as it pertains to Uganda, they are blind to the precedents that they have already set and now suddenly are opposed to.

Access to information and freedom of expression, including the public conversation on Twitter, is never more important than during democratic processes, particularly elections.#UgandaDecides2021 #KeepItOn https://t.co/Q2SJfsFUiD

— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 12, 2021

Big companies are people too!

;)  Citizens United 

You guys saying that "private Twitter" can do what they want and then seeing them post shit like that......unreal.  

By the one sided attempts to silence people they are doing the governemnts bidding for them.  

Don’t forget when big tech Justin silenced S&L.