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> These bans will always result in users using alternative platforms No it won't. There are two app stores of consequence. Google just nuked free speech suppor
by adventured 6y ago
> These bans will always result in users using alternative platforms
No it won't. There are two app stores of consequence. Google just nuked free speech supporting Parler from their app store for example, trying to force them into ideological censorship compliance.
When aggressive monopolies are doing the censoring in tandem, it's identical to an act of violence by the companies in question as there are not reasonable other channels left. It stops being a matter of a stray private corporation merely controlling how its property is used and becomes a matter for the government to defend the people being assaulted.
Monopolies are always ultimately a matter of force and the sole way to deal with them short-term is to call upon the government to use its legal powers to stop the violent monopolists.
A coup definitely occurred the other day, just not the one the laughable headlines proclaim ('unmasked, unarmed man in buffalo hat and jeans conquers US Government in daring toppling of superpower!'); rather, by big tech over speech. They've all been waiting for this moment of convenience (it's a Patriot Act kind of moment). From here on out they'll unabashedly use their co-monopoly over everything online to dictate speech.
Quick question for everyone on HN: who actually seized power given our present context? The clown in the buffalo hat, or the billion & trillion dollar corporations that control most of the channels of communication? Now that that power move is taken care of some of the interested parties in the government will put the companies to work on more interesting privacy-destroying tasks.
- Santosh83 6y agoRight, but these tech empires didn't 'seize control' just the other day when Capitol was overrun. They have been slowly ratcheting up control since years. Slowly boiling the frog while providing an ever-increasing dazzling trinkets of technology and convenience to the general public to distract them from festering underlying issues is their tactic. And they're succeeding all too well, and very much in cahoots with most governments, elected or not. Ultimately decentralisation of power/wealth has never succeeded in human history so far. It's just that in the last century or two, it has reached ridiculous levels of disparity, even though superficially it seems as if ordinary people are more empowered than ever.
- shripadk 6y agoExactly! And what makes it worse is that Silicon Valley is ideologically inclined to the left (and some extreme left). This is largely overlooked but is a pretty important discussion to have. Because moderator decision making is increasingly turning ideological. In India for instance, the ideological divide is quite clear. Twitter regularly bans right wing accounts while keeping left wing accounts active. Accounts like that of TrueIndology have been banned multiple times and resurrected without any proper reasoning provided. It only ended up forcing the account user (who was operating pseudonymously) to instead reveal his identity just so Twitter stopped harassing him. There should be some regulation to make the moderation team independent of the company. That is probably a good first step in breaking apart these Big Tech giants. Else we should all be ready for balkanization of the internet which is where we are headed. Whether it is a good thing or not only time will tell.
- roenxi 6y agoThere are two app stores of consequence because Apple and Google have historically been good stewards. If they abuse their position alternatives will turn up. Their position isn't as defensible as it looks if they start taking on serious chunks of their own userbase. All the manufacturing power is in Asia. The market is wide open for competition if the big players make space for it.
- fencepost 6y agoA coup definitely occurred the other day, just not the one the laughable headlines proclaim ('unmasked, unarmed man in buffalo hat and jeans conquers US Government in daring toppling of superpower!'); Don't focus on the clown, keep an eye on the paramilitary folks who showed up with guns and restraints.
- Daho0n 6y agoI hope Trumpism is banned and you all move on.