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They do get upset. In fact, both Google's and EFF's responses are results of people getting upset. There's people upset that Nazi imagery exists, and Google wan
by Sacho 9y ago
They do get upset. In fact, both Google's and EFF's responses are results of people getting upset. There's people upset that Nazi imagery exists, and Google wants those people as customers, so they have made the decision to ban Nazi imagery. There's people upset that this ban is overbroad and poorly applied, and that it sets a dangerous precedent, and the EFF is voicing that fear. Youtube, Facebook, etc ban pornographic content due to social pressure.
Google did not arbitrarily decide to ban Nazi speech on its whim, with no social support. This is a social war and it's why I find all the arguments unpersuasive - "private companies should do what they want"(except in cases when we don't like it, e.g. employment laws, denying service to minorities..) or "private companies should be forced to do what we want"(what happened to freedom of association?).
The underlying issue is that we're split on the importance and effects of tolerating hateful speech. The private companies are trying to navigate the social climate, which has become increasingly polarized. Boycotts, "with us or against us" demands is what is forcing their hand. It's not Google that's evil in this case, it's us. We are forcing them to take a stand on this social rift, and they have, and no one should really be surprised by it. Freedom of speech advocates have a long history of losing to moral panic.
- mikeash 9y agoI think you misread my comment. Obviously people are getting upset about this Nazi stuff. My point is that similar censorship of porn is a time-honored tradition and these organizations don't seem to care about that.
- Sacho 9y agoThe EFF has addressed porn when it comes into their purview - e.g. the recent string of anti-"revenge porn" laws. But you answered your question yourself - censoring porn is a time-honored tradition(it's an exception in the FA), while censoring political speech is not(there are wide-ranging protections for political speech). In this sense, the EFF is championing its primary cause - the application and effectiveness of laws as they pertain to the digital world. The issue of private companies and public spaces for free speech has been controversial(http://law.justia.com/constitution/us/amendment-01/54-quasi-public-places.html http://law.justia.com/constitution/us/amendment-01/54-quasi-...) and the EFF has usually fought on the side of expanding the concept of public places, as far as I know.