Facebook and Twitter Cross a Line Far More Dangerous Than What They Censor

submitted by Questionable from theintercept.com

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[–][deleted]  (10 children)

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    [–]asterias 12 insightful - 5 fun12 insightful - 4 fun13 insightful - 5 fun -  (2 children)

    Since they are a monopoly, they should be clear that they censor everything threatening their political goals (and even state them publicly).

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [deleted]

      [–]SaidOverRed 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      To be honest, yes that is the stated position. However they are not NEARLY as aggressive, even when posts are called out and explained as being at the lowest tier. I've never, ever had to block someone on reddit.

      [–]Questionable[S] 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      If they were a publisher yes. But they are a platform for others to speak through. Which grants them their immunity from liability. Now if they start acting as an editor, and fact checking things in bad faith, that makes them a publisher, and liable for their statements made.

      [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      Censorship IS acting as an editor.

      [–]flugegeheimen 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

      You read an article and don't get it? It dedicated at least a paragraph to that.

      [–][deleted]  (1 child)

      [deleted]

        [–]flugegeheimen 7 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

        Beyond that, both Facebook and Twitter receive substantial, unique legal benefits from federal law, further negating the claim that they are free to do whatever they want as private companies. Just as is true of Major League Baseball — which is subject to regulation by Congress as a result of the antitrust exemption they enjoy under the law — these social media companies receive a very valuable and particularized legal benefit in the form of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields them from any liability for content published on their platforms, including defamatory material or other legally proscribed communications.

        So, if I understand the argument correct, if they are private companies then they should be treated as private companies. If they want to keep their privileges from state then "it's a private company" argument no longer applies to them.

        [–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

        Because they are a monopoly and acting both as a publisher and as a platform. If they are a platform, then they are not responsible for what people post on there, and so shouldn't censor. If they do censor, they are acting as a publisher, which removes their "platform" status of no responsibility for what the users post. Right now they are acting very much like the USSR's state media, and that's not something US law is theoretically acceptive of.

        [–]SaidOverRed 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

        Either break them up and then they will go back to being a normal, non-monopoly private company

        Or, declare them a utility (like phone lines) and make it de-facto impossible for them to (shadow)ban users. Imagine your land line disconnecting if you say something the phone company's operator (who's spying on you) doesn't like.

        [–]Wobe 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

        Nobody cares, we all have farms to attend, fucking northerner with your slaves are bad campaign. Meanwhile, slaves are freed everyday for the debt they paid. Imagine being a debt slave today, that can't even be absolved, vs a debt slave also called anindentured servant, that become successful bc the owner went by thier word, and wasn't caught up in jew speak to abuse people forever.

        [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

        This. This cannot be overstated.

        [–]Overdrive 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

        Here's an idea, get the fuck off of Facebook and Twitter. Did it ages ago now here I am.