smt88 is entirely correct. In fact, his arguments in this thread are excellent, and there's nothing I want to add. Rights are a political concept, and the right

smt88 is entirely correct. In fact, his arguments in this thread are excellent, and there's nothing I want to add. Rights are a political concept, and the right to free speech is entirely an issue of government censorship. A private company witholding a service from you cannot infringe your rights. Within that context, I want to point out that an action can be within your rights, but still be morally wrong. Influential private companies can create an anti-free-speech culture. This doesn't directly infringe on people's rights, but it paves the way for anti-free-speech legislation. My other disagreement is whether your internet provider could shut off your internet, and not be infringing your rights. I say 'yes': you and your ISP have a right to sign whatever contract you want, and they can set whatever limitations they want on your use of their property (as can newspapers and online services). The rational way for consumers to deal with is not to get the state to step in, but to push for 'no censorship' contracts.