Fragmentation of platforms is an issue, but it's already reality today, any market that is large enough gets to dictate their local rules. I'd prefer if we adop

Fragmentation of platforms is an issue, but it's already reality today, any market that is large enough gets to dictate their local rules. I'd prefer if we adopted the US idea of free speech globally (or at least online), but I don't believe it's going to happen. My main problem with the idea of hate speech is that it hinges on individual judgement and is weaponized to suppress opposing speech. It's vague and in the end is only defined on a case-by-case basis by looking at the majority or the position of powerful institutions, and generally sympathy-based - a terrible foundation to build rules on. You're certainly right that outlawing cancel culture would get us into trouble as well. We do have far reaching rules for compelled speech & association (not least via taxes that are redistributed), so I'm not sure there's a good reason to say "but we won't add this one" (I see no good reason to protect religious but not political convictions for example). My favorite solution is to find rules that everybody is happy with, even if big tech fires all employees tomorrow and replaces them with proponents of the opposite ideology: build the shoe in such a way that you're okay if it's on the other foot tomorrow.