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Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

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Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#61
I hope he does.

These gigantic centralized silo monopolies that recreate the experience of AOL online.

They have way more power than any American (or any other country) company should have in the world. Their reach is global, what they do, impacts millions of people who have no say whatsoever.

I long for a much more distributed system. (Doesn't have to be some fancy federated system.

I would be happy with real competition by a few hundred companies distributed around the world.

Closing down, or neutering the behemoths would be the most useful thing Trump will ever do.

He will soon realize that he cannot, or maybe he just forgets about it, or maybe he tries and the supreme court strikes it down. I cannot imagine how much money is flowing from the silos to lobbyists in Washington right now.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#62
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Moron?

Likely a reference to a Bugs Bunny catch-phrase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NYFq7ZJg4c

I always thought maroon was actual slang for "idiot", when in fact it was just a cartoon rabbit ironically mispronouncing the word moron.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#63
post #57
post #52

Wasn’t it Voltaire who said “ I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it ”? Nonetheless, this is pretty much par for the course for what the world has come to expect. Edit: It turns out that though phrase is often attributed to Voltaire, it was actually Evelyn Beatrice Hall, as noted by the poster below, to whom I am grateful for the correction.

Actually, no, turns out it was Evelyn Beatrice Hall[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Beatrice_Hall

Thanks, I stand corrected.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#64
post #42
post #36

I think this is going to be a discussion thread that is almost inevitably going to be a shitshow, but anyway: There are people who advocate the idea that private companies should be compelled to distribute hate speech, dangerously factually incorrect information and harassment under the concept that free speech is should be applied universally rather than just to government. I don't agree, I think it's a vast over-re…

They will never understand your point.

They will never understand the pain of having red hair either.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#65
Obviously, based on his history, it is just a reaction, but not necessarily an idle threat. I am both hesitant and interested at the same time. It is a little like his stance on FISA. It it clear any changes are just to benefit, but some of the power held by FISA and social media should be curbed.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#66
Not every day a sitting President threatens a media outlet for exercising their freedom of the press, but it's not the first time it's happened.

Of course, most Presidents have been constrained by some modicum of understanding that their oath to uphold the Constitution applies to the whole thing.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#67
The problem inevitably has flared up: Twitter's head of integrity leading this push has previously tweeted that Trump is a Nazi and accused the flyover states of being racist.

https://twitter.com/Liz_Wheeler/status/1265463081997484032

This isn't going to end well, and unless Twitter is going to exercise this impartially (which is impossible given a human is involved), they are going to lose their platform status, and justifiably so.

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#68
Repost from duplicate post:

Obviously, based on his history, it is just a reaction, but not necessarily an idle threat. I am both hesitant and interested at the same time. It is a little like his stance on FISA. It it clear any changes are just to benefit the president with other benefits being an afterthought, but some of the power held by FISA and social media should be curbed

Re: Trump threatens to 'close' down social media platforms

#70
post #52

Wasn’t it Voltaire who said “ I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it ”? Nonetheless, this is pretty much par for the course for what the world has come to expect. Edit: It turns out that though phrase is often attributed to Voltaire, it was actually Evelyn Beatrice Hall, as noted by the poster below, to whom I am grateful for the correction.

Would he defend your right to say it in his living room, though?

(Let's also not lose sight of the fact that Trump hasn't even had his tweets deleted or censored in any fashion. Just a note added underneath.)

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