The root incentive to moderate is to keep the government from intervening or preventing people turning against the platform. Government starts interfering and

The root incentive to moderate is to keep the government from intervening or preventing people turning against the platform. Government starts interfering and people turn against them when there is a moral panic[1]. In democratic societies the best way for the social-media platforms to achieve their goal is to muffle moral panics directly. That's different goal from the moderation that government and public want from them (criminal or hidden actor propaganda.) I predict that the attention will be directed towards throttling sudden spikes in moral panic inducing content. Legitimate moderation will be just small part of the moderation effort. Most of the energy goes into protecting the sensibilities of "proper" society. There will be limiters for the reproduction number of any kind of controversial thinking. It will be just easier and cheaper. [1]: Moral Panics http://criminology.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264079-e-155 http://criminology.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/978019...