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> If we treat the tech platforms like utilities, then would that force companies like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to allow full-on porn on their platform? D

by cj 6y ago

> If we treat the tech platforms like utilities, then would that force companies like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to allow full-on porn on their platform? Does USPS allow you to ship anything, legal or not, without question? (No) Do cable companies require that all content be accessed equally, including adult only content? (No) Will your electric company kick you off your service if you’re running a datacenter in a giant warehouse next to your residence? (Probably, unless you have a non-residential contract with them)

tombert 6y ago
> Does USPS allow you to ship anything, legal or not, without question? (No) Sure, let's pull this thread. Your use of the term "legal or not" is silly, because I specifically put the caveat for the platforms to delete illegal content, so I'll only look at the scope of legal stuff. You are correct that the USPS won't let you ship anything, things like guns and large quantities of cash aren't inherently illegal but aren't allowed to be shipped. The implication of what you're saying though, is that you want the government to determine what constitutes "free speech" on the internet. If someone uploads a full-length (legally licensed) Brazzers video to YouTube, that might be classified as "porn" and be deleted. Fine. How about if, in the middle of the "action" of the porn, they go on a long detailed breakdown of wealth inequality in America. Is this still "just porn" or is that considered protected political speech that now cannot be deleted?
- throwaway894345 6y ago
  > Is this still "just porn" or is that considered protected political speech that now cannot be deleted? I'm pretty sure if you yell "Fire!" followed by a treatise on your political views, your speech is still not considered 'protected'. Similarly, I would imagine that if something has pornographic content in it at all, it would be regulated as porn.
  - tombert 6y ago
    But who gets to decide what "porn" is? If I upload a video talking about my opinions and I'm not wearing a shirt, is that porn? By which community's standard do we say something is "pornographic"? There are certain groups in America that say women showing their ankles is arousing, do we go with their standards? EDIT, Cont'd: For that matter, what if the act of sex is the actual message? As in, two people are having sex and they are doing that as a direct message towards some political entity?
    - throwaway894345 6y ago
      Right, that's a bigger problem that we have to deal with in society anyway, so I don't think this introduces anything new. We just take the existing legal definition of pornography and apply it to social media.

by cj 6y ago

tombert 6y ago

> Does USPS allow you to ship anything, legal or not, without question? (No) Sure, let's pull this thread. Your use of the term "legal or not" is silly, because I specifically put the caveat for the platforms to delete illegal content, so I'll only look at the scope of legal stuff. You are correct that the USPS won't let you ship anything, things like guns and large quantities of cash aren't inherently illegal but aren't allowed to be shipped. The implication of what you're saying though, is that you want the government to determine what constitutes "free speech" on the internet. If someone uploads a full-length (legally licensed) Brazzers video to YouTube, that might be classified as "porn" and be deleted. Fine. How about if, in the middle of the "action" of the porn, they go on a long detailed breakdown of wealth inequality in America. Is this still "just porn" or is that considered protected political speech that now cannot be deleted?

throwaway894345 6y ago
> Is this still "just porn" or is that considered protected political speech that now cannot be deleted? I'm pretty sure if you yell "Fire!" followed by a treatise on your political views, your speech is still not considered 'protected'. Similarly, I would imagine that if something has pornographic content in it at all, it would be regulated as porn.
- tombert 6y ago
  But who gets to decide what "porn" is? If I upload a video talking about my opinions and I'm not wearing a shirt, is that porn? By which community's standard do we say something is "pornographic"? There are certain groups in America that say women showing their ankles is arousing, do we go with their standards? EDIT, Cont'd: For that matter, what if the act of sex is the actual message? As in, two people are having sex and they are doing that as a direct message towards some political entity?
  - throwaway894345 6y ago
    Right, that's a bigger problem that we have to deal with in society anyway, so I don't think this introduces anything new. We just take the existing legal definition of pornography and apply it to social media.