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Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

wsj.com

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Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#301

Post by subsubzero »

BurningFrog wrote: post #221

Tell me how this is wrong: The US is de facto converting to the Chinese model for the internet: All communication must be monitored, damaging content must be erased, and in serious cases, those responsible must be punished. If Parler gets a foreign data center, I expect a "Great Firewall of China" with American characteristics will soon follow.

I think you are heading in the right direction here. I think the difference is that today large US tech companies have a complete stranglehold over online speech and large parts of the internet infrastructure(email, web services, consumer electronics). So instead of the CCP saying a site is transmitting harmful lies(and is shut down), its now a close knit group of tech oligarchies deeming what speech is and is not permissible.

If Parler were to try and get a foreign data center expect Goog, FB and the others to try to bully that country (we will remove offices in your country if you do not shut it down) or pressuring internet providers to block that countries traffic.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#302

Post by rayiner »

MattGaiser wrote: post #274
giantg2 wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I completely agree. I would like to see some of the other replies here comment on how democracy can function if the citizens are incompetent/stupid. If they can't be trusted to be knowledgeable, then how can they make informed decisions, including voting? And of course, who decides which people hold legitimate positions and which people are ignorant?

Democracy can function if they are incompetent and stupid. It won't function optimally, it may not function well, but it will function, even if to absurd ends. Democracy doesn't need to make people richer, healthier, or safer to function. Oklahoma's population is anti education and this is reflected in their government. Will that damage their children for the future? Likely. But democracy continues to function in Okl…

Oklahoma outperforms California in grade 8 science and tied in grade 8 math: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?chor...

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#303

Post by dcolkitt »

bun_at_work wrote: post #260
dcolkitt wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question: Is Facebook doing this out of genuine business interest? Or because they're concerned about legal and/or regulatory backlash?

Honest question: What happens to Facebook if the government that rules it collapses?

Honest question: What is your probability estimate that the government of the United States collapses or is overthrown? Keep in mind that the S&P 500 is near record highs, which would be a tad irrational if we're on the verge anarchy implosion.

If you honestly believe there's even the slightest risk of that, why aren't you buying deep out-of-the-money put options like mad.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#304

Post by eplanit »

These are surreal times, to put it mildly. These headlines of banning/deplatforming would be ordinary if you substitute "CCP" for "Facebook", "Twitter", and "Amazon".

Facebook has even blocked Ron Paul?!? (https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1348704640486014982)

FAANG is the bakery, and Trump and everything associated with him is the same-sex wedding cake.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#305

Post by pfundstein »

logicslave wrote: post #247
BurningFrog wrote: post #221

Tell me how this is wrong: The US is de facto converting to the Chinese model for the internet: All communication must be monitored, damaging content must be erased, and in serious cases, those responsible must be punished. If Parler gets a foreign data center, I expect a "Great Firewall of China" with American characteristics will soon follow.

Yup this is coming. The "slippery slope" is real and recent actions confirm it. This is scary and these actions are unprecedented. The USA has never seen such restrictions on free speech in its history

What's with all the loonies in here?

A private company censoring content on its platform is well within its rights, especially when that content conflicts with the company's policies.

This has literally nothing to do with freedom of speech.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#306

Post by root_axis »

cambalache wrote: post #284
root_axis wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook is not a country, it's a website, trying to characterize Facebook's business decisions as U.S policy is a dishonest rhetorical tactic.

> Facebook is not a country Facebook 2019 revenue was 71 billion or so, which would put it at number 70 worldwide if it were a country. Maybe we should start to treat it like one.

I don't follow your reasoning. Should we treat every billion dollar company as a country or just websites?

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#307

Post by mc32 »

bun_at_work wrote: post #275
mc32 wrote: post #213

Does this put them in the unenvious position to take down any up-to-then unproven allegations? Does it mean any group seeking remedy against BigCorp with slogans like “Stop the Stink” to oppose a new dump can be shut down through lawyers if the group cannot prove their allegations?

Do groups of protesters who boycott companies invade the US capitol with the intent of overthrowing the government or undermining a democratic election? This doesn't really seem comparable, does it?

Regardless, it proves that if something is not proven, they CAN. Why wouldn’t a company argue for this? Your platform is carrying lies, Remove now!

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#308

Post by grzm »

dcolkitt wrote: post #296
grzm wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s the difference? Business interests include mitigating legal and regulatory exposure.

Because the latter would definitely be a form of government censorship. In fact it's essentially how most censorship in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey work. If you tell a newspaper that they'll be regulated out of existence if they publish a certain opinion, it doesn't matter that the private platform is the one doing the censoring.

There's always a risk of bad laws and bad regulations. And certainly we need to be vigilant and correct and improve them when they occur (and they most certainly do). Laws and regulation are not necessarily censorship. It's important to have transparency into how laws and regulations are developed and applied, but that's a separate issue.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#309

Post by istjohn »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #285
logicslave wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup this is coming. The "slippery slope" is real and recent actions confirm it. This is scary and these actions are unprecedented. The USA has never seen such restrictions on free speech in its history

Newspapers regularly decline to publish letters to the editor from loonies trying to organize a coup. What is unprecedented is giving these loonies a huge platform that helps them find like-minded loonies to organize while keeping them in an information bubble that shields them from corrections.

Yet we never opened mail to protect society from loonies trying to organize a coup. We never censored phone calls. Social media is the modern mode of communication, and just because we can censor speech online doesn't mean we should. Free speech has always meant tolerating repelent speech.

Re: Facebook Says It Is Removing All Content Mentioning 'Stop the Steal'

#310

Post by chordalkeyboard »

MrMan wrote: post #256
chordalkeyboard wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even here on HN any attempt at putting forth the wrong opinion on the election will result in a ban. I haven't seen this, all the bans I have seen are the result of ideological warfare and flamebait. However you will get downvoted to -4 for questioning the integrity of the election. So don't do that ;)

You think you don’t have a voice, I cannot even downvote

you have to earn it by accumulating a certain karma though contributions that are upvoted by the community. I can downvote but I can't downvote replies to me, and for some poorly understood reason, sometimes I just can't downvote even though I have not yet participated in the thread.
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