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ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

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Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#121

Post by neogodless »

technick wrote: post #119

I generally agree private businesses are free to do what they want. However, when private businesses have so much control over how society communicates and operates, like Twitter, limits need to be put in place over what should be allowed. Twitter, Google, Reddit... all of them have become virtue echo chambers, if you don't agree with the main conversation or how the leaders of the company feel, your silenced by bein…

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/inte...

> Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

In what way is anything Twitter doing an act of Congress?

Any law made forcing Twitter to be used by an agent of the government would be a direct violation of the Constitution.

Being allowed to moderate your own platform, and for users to vote on the amplification of your message is their own exercise of free speech.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#122

Post by 29athrowaway »

claytongulick wrote: post #92
MisterBastahrd wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because if they used due process a lot of them would have been banned a long time ago. They let Trump get away with a CONSTANT stream of bullshit and insults over the last four years. Their PR people had to constantly engage the media to tell them that he only kept his account because he was POTUS. He isn't gonna be POTUS much longer, there are about 40 other platforms he can use, and he's got an entire press apparat…

Have you actually read what the average twitter user posts? Almost all of what I see on there is magnitudes worse than anything I've seen Trump post, and yet there's no action against those users... This is clearly partisan politics. The ban hammer is not applied equally. I see unbelievable insults, direct calls for violence (from both sides), acrimonious, spiteful and hateful posts - with zero consequences. But Trum…

If you interpret the situation in this manner, you really need to take a break from politics and try to engage into some activity that helps you develop some basic common sense.

Stop thinking about political parties, and think about individuals, their role in society, their influence and the consequences of their actions.

Sending a mob of radicalized people with mental issues to kidnap senators is a bad decision and he got rightfully punished for it.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#123

Post by epistasis »

ericmcer wrote: post #43
zadokshi wrote: post #4

I don’t care what side your politics are. When corporations can so easily control the voice of the elected leader of a country (one who has genuine legitimate support or about half of the country), I become very scared for the future. Corporations should not have more power than the elected officials.

That is where I am at as well. People are celebrating this because the guy they banned is on the other team, but it is crazy how twitter/fb can cut the legs out from under the "leader of the free world" when needed (it was kinda justified in this case).

Nobody should be above reproach for their behavior. I would be (and was!) far more worried about our freedoms if the president inspired so much authoritarian fear that companies would not act according to the principles stated in their terms of service, that apply to everyone.

We should be far more worried that Twitter gave the president a free ride for so long, violating their own standards to allow a powerful person to violate them. That's the real threat to freedom.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#124

Post by alisonkisk »

krapp wrote: post #78
zadokshi wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one is worried about a mentally deranged guy running around in a costume taking over the legitimately elected government. No one is actually worried about this; The democrats are not actually worried about this; Republicans are not worried about this; perhaps some mentally unstable people are worried about this?

>No one is worried about a mentally deranged guy running around in a costume taking over the legitimately elected government No, because that's not something that could actually ever have happened. Nothing that crowd could have done, or was planning to do, would have actually resulted in any of them "taking over" the government, that's not how this works. That asshole in the buffalo costume got his two minutes of int…

Thousands of then still have their guns and bombs and tactical gear and fan club. Even if they can't "take over the government", they can kill a lot of congresspeople and citizens.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#125

Post by alisonkisk »

neither_color wrote: post #16
zadokshi wrote: post #4

I don’t care what side your politics are. When corporations can so easily control the voice of the elected leader of a country (one who has genuine legitimate support or about half of the country), I become very scared for the future. Corporations should not have more power than the elected officials.

I wont be surprised if all other world leaders, authoritarian or not, are looking for alternative platforms now, just for the sake of their own sovereignty.

What would they suddenly care now?

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#126

Post by alisonkisk »

quelsolaar wrote: post #6

Jack and Mark, have every right to kick Trump off their platforms, and maybe I would have done the same. I still don't like that its up to them to decide for us all.

They decided nothing for you. You are still free to have conversations with Trump. It's not to you to decide who they do business with.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#127

Post by karaterobot »

Acrobatic_Road wrote: post #33
karaterobot wrote: post #26

Maybe it would help if someone on the internet condescendingly pointed out to them that the first amendment doesn't apply to private platforms. I mean I know that's not what they're talking about at all, but it's what always seems to happen in these discussions.

At what point do these massive corporations effectively become a government? They govern what you can say, think and buy.

When other governments recognize you as a government, then whatever else is true about you, you are a government. Usually this is because you have a military with certain capabilities, but I guess in this new century there could be other options, like money or information.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#128

Post by iijlasdjkfj »

CharlesW wrote: post #103
iijlasdjkfj wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The internet literally didn't exist 50 years ago. How can a lack of access to internet be an infringement on free speech then? Television literally didn't exist 100 years ago. How can a lack of access to television be an infringement of free speech then? Written language literally didn't exist ~5000 years ago. How can a lack of access to written language be an infringement of free speech then?

> The internet literally didn't exist 50 years ago. How can a lack of access to internet be an infringement on free speech then? So the 14% of households with school-aged children in the United States without internet access don't have free speech? https://www.ntia.doc.gov/blog/2018/digital-divide-among-scho...

Well CharlesW, if you were a member of those 14% of households without internet access could you have written your comment on HN sharing your viewpoint with other readers of HN?

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#129

Post by 29athrowaway »

ceilingcorner wrote: post #71

Every single one of these actions will have the opposite effect. You cannot ban people into submission. Instead, you’ll only get more extremists and more fracturing of culture. This seems like psychology 101 to me, but apparently the bright minds in Silicon Valley know what’s best for us more than we do. After all, they have been spying on us and collecting data for years. Maybe they do.

When you do something sufficiently idiotic, like sending a mob of radicalized trigger happy lunatics that believe in alternate reality games (namely Q) to attack the capitol, which is full of elected officials (just like Trump) representing every state, then you fucking DESERVE to be deplatformed.

In fact, not only he deserves to be banned, he deserves to be outed by his own cabinet then sent to jail.

Re: ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook

#130

Post by giantg2 »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #68
karaterobot wrote: post #26

Maybe it would help if someone on the internet condescendingly pointed out to them that the first amendment doesn't apply to private platforms. I mean I know that's not what they're talking about at all, but it's what always seems to happen in these discussions.

I love how this is 100% a liability issue and everyone jumps to the First Amendment like automatons. Twitter and Facebook are each gonna blow hundreds of millions of dollars dealing with litigation from the fallout of the other day. They have zero obligation to host insane seditious rhetoric or the people who have encouraged it.

Is it a liability issue? Section 230?
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