YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
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Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#2I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#3In other discussions about this action, I've seen lots of confusion about what the 1st Amendment guarantees. Too many people think it guarantees an outcome: that the government must protect your right to free speech and make sure you have a platform for free speech. When in fact it's almost the opposite: it prevents the government from interfering with free speech, specifically Congress can not pass any laws that interfere with free speech. Keeping in mind that free speech includes the right to not say things you disagree with.
I'd be curious if any legal experts know of other laws that might apply in this case.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#4I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
I'm not so sure about your theory of mainstream mortality, could you offer some examples? I feel this might be a cliche among technologists who associate mass adoption with a slowdown of innovation or at least of novelty.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#5I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
More likely it makes him harder to find and limits his reach more.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#6I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
So your saying you would want Jones' demagoguery to be mainstream?
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#7I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
This is a hard question. There are certain people who are predisposed to this type of thinking, and the YouTube auto play algorithm does seem to funnel people to these types of content (likely due to high engagement). But banning him from the platform plays perfectly into Jones'narrative that he is fighting the shadowy forces that control media. In a way, it almost legitimizes him to his audience.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#8In other discussions about this action, I've seen lots of confusion about what the 1st Amendment guarantees. Too many people think it guarantees an outcome: that the government must protect your right to free speech and make sure you have a platform for free speech. When in fact it's almost the opposite: it prevents the government from interfering with free speech, specifically Congress can not pass any laws that int…
There is something else to keep in mind which is that the government can evade the 1st amendment by pressuring companies to take action against speech it doesn’t like.
“Hostile environment” laws around workplace conduct are a good example of this; the strict interpretation of the first amendment might not allow the government to directly regulate such speech by employees, but the threat of EEOC lawsuits can compel companies to fire or discipline employees. I’m not sure how much this truly happens but I’ve seen some legal people on twitter talk about it. E.g. http://www2.law.ucla.edu/volokh/hostile.htm
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#9I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
It's so easy to discover him on youtube especially on their youtube feed. You have no idea how many times I was recommended conspiracy videos on my feed just because i watched a Ben Shapiro video.
Re: YouTube Bans Alex Jones, Following Facebook's and Apple's Lead
#10I have mixed feelings about this. I fear it will actually make Jones' brand of demagoguery and crackpot theories more appealing and sexy. The best thing to do might be to let far-right conspiracy theory propaganda die in the mainstream, since the mainstream is where things go to die.
So your saying you would want Jones' demagoguery to be mainstream?
I think the best scenario would be for people to see en masse that his predictions amount to nothing. Some people will never catch on but many will. Over time this will discredit his movement.