> I don't think it 'needs' to be done secretly so much as big companies cannot be bothered to get into fights over every moderation And then you get into a sit

> I don't think it 'needs' to be done secretly so much as big companies cannot be bothered to get into fights over every moderation And then you get into a situation where it can be alleged that a whole political ideology, half the country, has been sidelined by your secretive work. Short term, that worked for awhile. It is not a long term strategy. > you're not a customer Users are part of the product. Lying to them en masse is not a good way to build trust. > The advertisers and data brokers are the customers. Keeping this in mind is why I lose little sleep over being shadowbanned and having my visibility limited on social media. I guess you've never tried to say something that the majority didn't want you to say, as has happened many times throughout history, from the Spanish Inquisition to Anthony Comstock to Communism to McCarthy to the Civil Rights Era. Free expression is held in regard not just when dealing with government, but also when dealing with each other. Shouting over each other isn't considered civil discourse, and neither is censorship wherever it occurs, in private or public places.