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Why does Facebook owe anyone a voice? If you want a 'voice' then the GOVERNMENT should make a social media platform in which NO ONE at all can be censured. Be

by mrlala 6y ago

Why does Facebook owe anyone a voice? If you want a 'voice' then the GOVERNMENT should make a social media platform in which NO ONE at all can be censured. Because your silly free speech argument doesn't have anything to do with private companies, although you already knew that, but conveniently ignore it. If Trump decides to start posting on HN, does HN owe him a voice? You are the one making slippery slope arguments, not the other way around.

josephagoss 6y ago
I think you and the op are in agreement...
throwawaysea 6y ago
The problem is that companies like Facebook and Twitter are already operating like the public town square. They are so big that they have greater influence and reach than virtually all countries, in a product space that is highly dependent on network effects. They are, for all intents and purposes, a public utility. And they should be held accordingly to the standards - namely that they cannot censor content, in support of free speech principles.
- nobody9999 6y ago
  >The problem is that companies like Facebook and Twitter are already operating like the public town square. The operative word in the above sentence is 'like'. FB and Twitter are not the town square and never have been. They are the platforms of private corporations driven by profit from advertising sales. And they haven't been shy about explaining exactly what you can and cannot do on their property either (cf. the relevant sites' TOS). That many people treat them like public squares is a result of those people's ignorance of or misapprehension about the platforms, not any subterfuge on the part of FB or Twitter. And the only reason they have any influence is because those people gave it to them. Don't use those platforms and they have no influence over you. In the United States at least, they have the right to censor whoever and whatever they like. Whether that be Donald J. Trump or, anything concerning puff pastry or even tasty, tasty jelly beans.

by mrlala 6y ago

josephagoss 6y ago

I think you and the op are in agreement...

throwawaysea 6y ago

The problem is that companies like Facebook and Twitter are already operating like the public town square. They are so big that they have greater influence and reach than virtually all countries, in a product space that is highly dependent on network effects. They are, for all intents and purposes, a public utility. And they should be held accordingly to the standards - namely that they cannot censor content, in support of free speech principles.

nobody9999 6y ago
>The problem is that companies like Facebook and Twitter are already operating like the public town square. The operative word in the above sentence is 'like'. FB and Twitter are not the town square and never have been. They are the platforms of private corporations driven by profit from advertising sales. And they haven't been shy about explaining exactly what you can and cannot do on their property either (cf. the relevant sites' TOS). That many people treat them like public squares is a result of those people's ignorance of or misapprehension about the platforms, not any subterfuge on the part of FB or Twitter. And the only reason they have any influence is because those people gave it to them. Don't use those platforms and they have no influence over you. In the United States at least, they have the right to censor whoever and whatever they like. Whether that be Donald J. Trump or, anything concerning puff pastry or even tasty, tasty jelly beans.