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Nobody complained when social media sites shut down ISIL videos or Taliban content. And why would they? Those are bad ideas from bad people! But anti-vaccine co

Nobody complained when social media sites shut down ISIL videos or Taliban content. And why would they? Those are bad ideas from bad people! But anti-vaccine content? Why, that could be your neighbor! And your neighbor doesn't deserve to be censored (unlike the evil people who definitely needed to be)

evv555 5y ago
That's a very selective interpretation on events. ISIS propaganda spread like wildfire through Twitter. The administration did nothing and the media barely made a peep about the root cause until the horses had already left the barn. None of these "concerned" stakeholders gave a shit about the socially corrosive nature of social media and they still don't beyond their own interests.
- rchaud 5y ago
  Where's your proof that the administration did nothing? Shutting down terrorism content is about the easiest political slam dunk imaginable. I have never seen ISIS propaganda. Plenty of "Fauci went to school with Bill Gates and was CEO of Moderna" memes, though.
  - evv555 5y ago
    >Where's your proof that the administration did nothing? Shutting down terrorism content is about the easiest political slam dunk imaginable. Before they were terrorists they were "insurgents" of the "Arab Spring". Something that the administration and Twitter/SM were more than willing to lean into before they lost control of the situation. >I have never seen ISIS propaganda. Plenty of "Fauci went to school with Bill Gates and was CEO of Moderna" memes, though. That's more a function of your age and filter bubble not whether there was ISIS propaganda which is well documented.
    - rchaud 5y ago
      What remains undocumented however is your claim that no action was taken.
      - evv555 5y ago
        This is a very strange approach to discourse. What action do you think was taken and where's the documentation? The administration was openly showing support for the Arab Spring mobs and even built up a military coalition in its support. Lack of knowledge on current events isn't the same as taking a skeptical stance.
        joshuamorton 5y ago
        I mean, this isn't really true: https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1370/close-parts-internet-where-isis/ https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpomete... https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-plans-shake-up-in-propaganda-war-against-the-islamic-state/2016/01/08/d482255c-b585-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama... https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/technology-once-used-to-combat-isis-propaganda-is-enlisted-by-democratic-group-to-counter-trumps-coronavirus-messaging/2020/05/01/6bed5f70-8a5b-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/technology-once-used... https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/07/hillary-clinton-wants-tech-companies-to-help-disrupt-isis-what-does-that-even-mean/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/07... ... Social media companies actually had a hugely successful anti-ISIS recruiting and propoganda campaign. This was something that everyone wanted a bit of credit for, but was ultimately totally uncontroversial because terrorists bad and no one complains when companies deplatform them.
        evv555 5y ago
        Your assertion is orthogonal to the original thread. When the "Arab Spring" started all the talking heads were going on about free speech, Democratic values, the positive role social media is playing, and beating the war drums. It's only after the situation had started threatening geopolitical interests did the tune change. >Social media companies actually had a hugely successful anti-ISIS recruiting and propoganda campaign. I question if that's the case. That's like closing the barn doors after the horses have already left. The networks were already in place. The damage already done. Aggregators like r/syriancivilwar had no shortage of atrocities to share most of which directly from social media.
  - throwawayjeje 5y ago
    occasionally I like to view the internet through a translating service. It's fascinating how different the world becomes outside Western European languages. Try it.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>Nobody complained when social media sites shut down ISIL videos or Taliban content. People did. You didn't hear about it because they were brushed aside as free speech extremists and wacko libertarians.
- LudvigVanHassen 5y ago
  Or they were kids and too young to comment or understand the situation. I would have protested then if I were an adult with my life understanding now.
ioslipstream 5y ago
Imagine if they used their powers to shut down something that's actually harmful, like, I don't know, sex trafficking. If they put as much energy into stifling human trafficking as they did dissenting covid opinions, we might make a dent in it.
throwawayjeje 5y ago
I didn't cheer. I don't cheer unless the videos are snuff (a beheading) or pornographic (not in ISIS' case). For the later I wouldn't even erase such content from the internet. All I demand is a proper age verification system for viewers and the actors. More guarantees that the actresses aren't, in fact, being abused by their situation would be nice - what can I say, I dare to dream.
- judahmeek 5y ago
  So you agree that there should be restrictions on speech that negatively impacts public health then. You just disagree on where the line should be drawn.
mariodiana 5y ago
Those were essentially recruitment videos for enemies we were literally at war with. If we are literally at war with individuals skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccines, we should say so.

evv555 5y ago

That's a very selective interpretation on events. ISIS propaganda spread like wildfire through Twitter. The administration did nothing and the media barely made a peep about the root cause until the horses had already left the barn. None of these "concerned" stakeholders gave a shit about the socially corrosive nature of social media and they still don't beyond their own interests.

rchaud 5y ago
Where's your proof that the administration did nothing? Shutting down terrorism content is about the easiest political slam dunk imaginable. I have never seen ISIS propaganda. Plenty of "Fauci went to school with Bill Gates and was CEO of Moderna" memes, though.
- evv555 5y ago
  >Where's your proof that the administration did nothing? Shutting down terrorism content is about the easiest political slam dunk imaginable. Before they were terrorists they were "insurgents" of the "Arab Spring". Something that the administration and Twitter/SM were more than willing to lean into before they lost control of the situation. >I have never seen ISIS propaganda. Plenty of "Fauci went to school with Bill Gates and was CEO of Moderna" memes, though. That's more a function of your age and filter bubble not whether there was ISIS propaganda which is well documented.
  - rchaud 5y ago
    What remains undocumented however is your claim that no action was taken.
    - evv555 5y ago
      This is a very strange approach to discourse. What action do you think was taken and where's the documentation? The administration was openly showing support for the Arab Spring mobs and even built up a military coalition in its support. Lack of knowledge on current events isn't the same as taking a skeptical stance.
      - joshuamorton 5y ago
        I mean, this isn't really true: https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1370/close-parts-internet-where-isis/ https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpomete... https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-plans-shake-up-in-propaganda-war-against-the-islamic-state/2016/01/08/d482255c-b585-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama... https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/technology-once-used-to-combat-isis-propaganda-is-enlisted-by-democratic-group-to-counter-trumps-coronavirus-messaging/2020/05/01/6bed5f70-8a5b-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/technology-once-used... https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/07/hillary-clinton-wants-tech-companies-to-help-disrupt-isis-what-does-that-even-mean/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/07... ... Social media companies actually had a hugely successful anti-ISIS recruiting and propoganda campaign. This was something that everyone wanted a bit of credit for, but was ultimately totally uncontroversial because terrorists bad and no one complains when companies deplatform them.
        evv555 5y ago
        Your assertion is orthogonal to the original thread. When the "Arab Spring" started all the talking heads were going on about free speech, Democratic values, the positive role social media is playing, and beating the war drums. It's only after the situation had started threatening geopolitical interests did the tune change. >Social media companies actually had a hugely successful anti-ISIS recruiting and propoganda campaign. I question if that's the case. That's like closing the barn doors after the horses have already left. The networks were already in place. The damage already done. Aggregators like r/syriancivilwar had no shortage of atrocities to share most of which directly from social media.
- throwawayjeje 5y ago
  occasionally I like to view the internet through a translating service. It's fascinating how different the world becomes outside Western European languages. Try it.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

>Nobody complained when social media sites shut down ISIL videos or Taliban content. People did. You didn't hear about it because they were brushed aside as free speech extremists and wacko libertarians.

LudvigVanHassen 5y ago
Or they were kids and too young to comment or understand the situation. I would have protested then if I were an adult with my life understanding now.

ioslipstream 5y ago

Imagine if they used their powers to shut down something that's actually harmful, like, I don't know, sex trafficking. If they put as much energy into stifling human trafficking as they did dissenting covid opinions, we might make a dent in it.

throwawayjeje 5y ago

I didn't cheer. I don't cheer unless the videos are snuff (a beheading) or pornographic (not in ISIS' case). For the later I wouldn't even erase such content from the internet. All I demand is a proper age verification system for viewers and the actors. More guarantees that the actresses aren't, in fact, being abused by their situation would be nice - what can I say, I dare to dream.

judahmeek 5y ago
So you agree that there should be restrictions on speech that negatively impacts public health then. You just disagree on where the line should be drawn.

mariodiana 5y ago

Those were essentially recruitment videos for enemies we were literally at war with. If we are literally at war with individuals skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccines, we should say so.