Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content” • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#801

Post by l33t2328 » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:05 AM UTC

LimaBearz wrote: post #786

l33t2328 wrote: post #774

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the only reason anyone is talking about misinformation right now is because the entire world watched in horror at the events of January 6th, a direct attempt to “seize control over free societies” Regardless of if the riot on Jan 6 was an attempt to seize the government (it wasn’t), this line of reasoning doesn’t track at all since the concept of “misinformation” as a public enemy has been brought up ad naseum sinc…

There’s a bit of nuance there though to isn’t there? Let’s be honest, “misinformation” between 2016-2020 just meant “things written about me I don’t like”, it only came from one person/group.

> it only came from one person/group

I disagree. While dubbing things “misinformation” was extremely prevalent coming from democrats and those on the left, things like Trump and his supporters dubbing certain reports “fake news” show everyone has concerns.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#802

Post by eecc » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:05 AM UTC

thrwoi4234234 wrote: post #769

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

It's actually worse - the "truth" necessarily implies that there is but one, and that everything else in false. Does this sound familiar ? This is exactly what religious loonies say in order to take control. Science necessarily involves keeping your own ignorance, epistemic and otherwise, in mind while dealing with things, but it's quite worrying that the West is going back on what was won with blood and sweat.

Nog sure about the intent of Google (and as they say, the road to hell is paved with good ones) but you’re reframing. It’s not a matter of censoring deviations from orthodoxy, rather one of removing disinformation and demonstrable falsehoods, often used for propaganda and to setup victim scenarios.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#803

Post by pmlnr » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:06 AM UTC

"Do not distribute content that deceives, misleads, or confuses users."

Confuses?

That is a really bad wording. Watch a pro-foam insulation video, than an against-foam insulation video - which one is right? One is confusing the audience, both can't be right. Which is the one that can't be distributed?

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#804

Post by jasonzemos » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:11 AM UTC

bigbluedots wrote: post #791

intended wrote: post #751

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We aren’t talking about something as basic as truth and untruth. This is Integer and float vs malformed code. Misinformation is code. It’s designed to specifically take advantage of gaps in our society and spread in such a way that makes it harder to challenge it.

In a free society, people must be allowed the ability to discern for themselves which information is useful, true, or otherwise. We do not need a state or its proxies to tell us which information is correct.

Yes we do. It is only more important that the state is first correct, and doesn't persecute when either it or you are not.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#805

Post by narrator » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:12 AM UTC

LimaBearz wrote: post #778

narrator wrote: post #761

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are saying that this is a lie as if that's math or physics instead of a debatable political point and then circling all the wagons around that determination. The idea that the coronavirus came from a lab used to be one of those circle the wagons points that anyone could get cancelled for. The evidence is so overwhelming that you're now allowed to post that to social media without getting cancelled. How would that…

My original post said absolutely nothing about the rona though yes it a physics or math problem. I’ve since amended it Trump lied, period. And it lead to and is leading to a lot of negatives. As for the virus personally I don’t care where it came from but people can believe whatever they want. We have a vaccine now, don’t want it then don’t, doesn’t affect those that chose to. “The big lie” however affects us all, an…

I have never heard any "truth" so sacred in American politics that the other side had to simply refer to the people opposing this "truth" as believing in "the big lie." It's Poe's law level absurdity.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#806

Post by wwweston » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:13 AM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

> democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government

Who says that individuals or business institutions making judgments and using their resources to arbitrate truth -- especially institutions like Google whose business is about information -- are acting "as proxies for the government" instead of taking responsibility for honestly arbitrating truth as they understand it?

And the idea that any attempt to arbitrate truth is equal to totalitarian oppression is exactly wrong. Every institution and individual has to do it. Certainly any society based on rule of law does; you can't apply law without a consensus about what the facts to apply it to are.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#807

Post by isaacremuant » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:14 AM UTC

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

American society has been slowly convinced, and then the rest of the world by extension, that this was absolutely necessary to combat the next big threat.

First it was to "combat hate", that speech was limited according to what partisan big tech companies decided was fair. It was said it had real-life consequences. Harm. So it should be banned.

Then anything from certain parties or ideologies became hate if labeled so by the tech giants. So out they went.

Now, anything questioning the authoritarian narrative of the pandemic is labeled as such.

The slippery slope that people tried to deny with claims of "private companies" has gotten higher and keeps going deeper.

Talking about freedom, freedom of speech or human rights gets you mocked in certain spaces. It's mind-boggling.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#808

Post by pmlnr » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:15 AM UTC

cs2733 wrote: post #527

Relevant: How The CIA made Google (2015) https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/how-the-cia-made-goo... Is Google honestly acting following economic interests? Is it to avoid liability from hosting damaging content? Is it acting to protect us? Google, which isn't event the most valuable company in the world, is worth above all but - give or take - the top 36 countries in the world. A company of this size wields imme…

> Is Google honestly acting following economic interests?

Of course. It's following the economic interest of filling the pockets of company C levels.

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#809

Post by raverbashing » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:15 AM UTC

thrwoi4234234 wrote: post #769

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

It's actually worse - the "truth" necessarily implies that there is but one, and that everything else in false. Does this sound familiar ? This is exactly what religious loonies say in order to take control. Science necessarily involves keeping your own ignorance, epistemic and otherwise, in mind while dealing with things, but it's quite worrying that the West is going back on what was won with blood and sweat.

> the "truth" necessarily implies that there is but one, and that everything else in false.

Sounds like the QAnon people

Re: Google Drive bans distribution of “misleading content”

#810

Post by wwweston » Sat, Jul 17, 2021, 8:22 AM UTC

lbj wrote: post #752

ibbibby wrote: post #748

"Misinformation" is just another word for "falsehood" or "untruth." Those of you claiming that "democracy" depends on authorities preventing the spread of misinformation are ipso facto saying that democracy requires the government, or megacorporate cartels with a monopoly on public speech most likely acting as proxies for the government (as Psaki made clear is happening), to define what counts as "truth" (a Ministry…

Youre absolutely right and the Ministry of Truth reference couldn’t be more chilling

"Ministry of Truth" references are the opposite of illuminating; they're reflexive association of any attempt to arbitrate truth with totalitarian oppression.

The fact is there is no such thing as rule of law without lots of institutions and individuals (private and public) taking responsibility for arbitrating truth. And there's no freedom of speech without allowing them to do it.