6 ms·

While I generally disagree with Greenwald, he makes a good point here: > So why did Democratic politicians and journalists focus on Parler rather than Facebook

by FabHK 6y ago

While I generally disagree with Greenwald, he makes a good point here: > So why did Democratic politicians and journalists focus on Parler rather than Facebook and YouTube? Why did Amazon, Google and Apple make a flamboyant showing of removing Parler from the internet while leaving much larger platforms with far more extremism and advocacy of violence flowing on a daily basis?

MrMan 6y ago
"while leaving much larger platforms with far more extremism and advocacy of violence flowing on a daily basis" I am not sure this is true? The point could have been made without resort to hyperbole stretching into disingenuousness. What about that other platform should not be the issue - social network apps/sites are all subject to and propagate abuse.
ppeetteerr 6y ago
Democratic politicians have been hounding Facebook and YouTube since 2016. Perhaps you mean why did we focus so much of our efforts on a single website? In this very moment, it's because this website was used to coordinate the efforts of a national group of potential terrorists. The pot boiled hard and fast.
- pas 6y ago
  Charlottesville was a proving ground. Trump's singing to white nationalists, violence against "the other side", casualti(es). In this particular case Trump directly ordered the attack. (At first I put quotes on order and attack, but alas no quotes needed, it's what it is.) But he has been flaring these flames since ... that fucking birth certificate dog whistle.
  - ppeetteerr 6y ago
    It's surprising Twitter let him keep his account this long. SV is not _that_ powerful.
- ashtonkem 6y ago
  Greenwald’s thing is totally ignoring what his ideological opponents do, and then whine about them not doing what he thinks they should have done. The idea that Democrats have been easy and kind on Twitter and FB is so disconnected with reality it’s actually kind of funny.
pas 6y ago
The question is, was this an exception, or they changed policy, and will they start to enforce similar rules with regards to those bigger platforms/groups?
awillen 6y ago
No, this is not a good point. Parler is a one-purpose app that existed solely (and was moderated by its own employees) to foment a chamber of hateful, violent rhetoric. Facebook and YouTube are used for many things by many people. Also Facebook and YouTube remove those kinds of content (even if they don't do a great job of it, they spend a whole lot of money employing a lot of people to get rid of it). Parler moderators removed those people who disagreed with the violent MAGA rhetoric. They're just not comparable, and pretending they are is ridiculous.
- txsoftwaredev 6y ago
  I signed up and used Parler and I was never hateful or violent. Its purpose was not that but to have a place where conservative voices (or anyone for that matter) could speak freely without the risk of being silenced by Twitter, Facebook etc. because your views didn't align with the left.
  - verall 6y ago
    Can you give some (just 1 is fine) examples of people being silenced because their views didn't align with the left? I have yet to see a single one. I see people that were silenced for - Denying the current covid-sars-2 pandemic - Direct calls to violence I have seen people that were "fact-checked" (which is itself discussion, not silencing) for claiming that the 2020 election result is fraudulent. None of this is silencing because your views don't align with the left. If you believe covid is a hoax created by George Soros or that Bill Gates bought votes in the 2020 election, your views don't align with reality.
    - hackinthebochs 6y ago
      Milo Yannopolis comes to mind.
      - verall 6y ago
        Milo had a book deal and was scheduled to speak at CPAC until someone uncovered a podcast of him defending the molestation of 13 year olds as a normal coming of age ritual. I am not sure whether to assume you have not researched how he lost his platform or if you feel that defending molestation is "views that don't align with the left".
jonahrd 6y ago
The reason Parler is popular in the first place is because YouTube and Facebook are no longer viable options for this kind of hate speech. That fight already concluded.
watwut 6y ago
Because those repeatedly and often and again and again censor extremist content.

by FabHK 6y ago

MrMan 6y ago

"while leaving much larger platforms with far more extremism and advocacy of violence flowing on a daily basis" I am not sure this is true? The point could have been made without resort to hyperbole stretching into disingenuousness. What about that other platform should not be the issue - social network apps/sites are all subject to and propagate abuse.

ppeetteerr 6y ago

Democratic politicians have been hounding Facebook and YouTube since 2016. Perhaps you mean why did we focus so much of our efforts on a single website? In this very moment, it's because this website was used to coordinate the efforts of a national group of potential terrorists. The pot boiled hard and fast.

pas 6y ago
Charlottesville was a proving ground. Trump's singing to white nationalists, violence against "the other side", casualti(es). In this particular case Trump directly ordered the attack. (At first I put quotes on order and attack, but alas no quotes needed, it's what it is.) But he has been flaring these flames since ... that fucking birth certificate dog whistle.
- ppeetteerr 6y ago
  It's surprising Twitter let him keep his account this long. SV is not _that_ powerful.
ashtonkem 6y ago
Greenwald’s thing is totally ignoring what his ideological opponents do, and then whine about them not doing what he thinks they should have done. The idea that Democrats have been easy and kind on Twitter and FB is so disconnected with reality it’s actually kind of funny.

pas 6y ago

The question is, was this an exception, or they changed policy, and will they start to enforce similar rules with regards to those bigger platforms/groups?

awillen 6y ago

No, this is not a good point. Parler is a one-purpose app that existed solely (and was moderated by its own employees) to foment a chamber of hateful, violent rhetoric. Facebook and YouTube are used for many things by many people. Also Facebook and YouTube remove those kinds of content (even if they don't do a great job of it, they spend a whole lot of money employing a lot of people to get rid of it). Parler moderators removed those people who disagreed with the violent MAGA rhetoric. They're just not comparable, and pretending they are is ridiculous.

txsoftwaredev 6y ago
I signed up and used Parler and I was never hateful or violent. Its purpose was not that but to have a place where conservative voices (or anyone for that matter) could speak freely without the risk of being silenced by Twitter, Facebook etc. because your views didn't align with the left.
- verall 6y ago
  Can you give some (just 1 is fine) examples of people being silenced because their views didn't align with the left? I have yet to see a single one. I see people that were silenced for - Denying the current covid-sars-2 pandemic - Direct calls to violence I have seen people that were "fact-checked" (which is itself discussion, not silencing) for claiming that the 2020 election result is fraudulent. None of this is silencing because your views don't align with the left. If you believe covid is a hoax created by George Soros or that Bill Gates bought votes in the 2020 election, your views don't align with reality.
  - hackinthebochs 6y ago
    Milo Yannopolis comes to mind.
    - verall 6y ago
      Milo had a book deal and was scheduled to speak at CPAC until someone uncovered a podcast of him defending the molestation of 13 year olds as a normal coming of age ritual. I am not sure whether to assume you have not researched how he lost his platform or if you feel that defending molestation is "views that don't align with the left".

jonahrd 6y ago

The reason Parler is popular in the first place is because YouTube and Facebook are no longer viable options for this kind of hate speech. That fight already concluded.

watwut 6y ago

Because those repeatedly and often and again and again censor extremist content.