Unpopular opinion, but what about our own responsibility to choose better platforms?
Second this. The article reads as a false dichotomy of choosing a "lesser evil" master while remaining a slave. Vote with your engagement (?)
People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
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Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#12There is a problem of agency here.
Assuming that we are talking about platform of user-generated content, should the users be punished by what they post? The kind of punishment can do the government is different from what a platform can do, and somewhat they want to feel free to express themselves. This are factors taken into account by users at making decisions.
In the other hand, what the platform does (through algorithms, weights, etc) at selecting, prioritizing and making visible content by users and users themselves is something happening at platform level. There the government may have something to do. And here we are talking about the platform decisions.
There is a middle ground on coordinating/playing with the algorithms to make your content visible by users or groups that control in a way or another many users accounts. There might be some government and platform involvement in this case.
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#13I think this might be a misinterpretation of the word "responsible". If a platform lies or spread malicious content, it seems people want the platform to have the liability and consequences for the malfeasance. That is what most people mean by "responsible". Government sets the rules, and if someone fail to comply, there are consequences against those responsible. Government isn't responsible, it is holding them resp…
> If a platform lies or spread malicious content, it seems people want the platform to have the liability and consequences for the malfeasance.
Does the government then setup a ministry of truth? Who gets to decide that?
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#14Unpopular opinion, but what about our own responsibility to choose better platforms?
What if someone posts slander and libelous statements on a platform that you do not frequent? What choice do you have? What recourse do you have if someone posts something along this proud OpenAI demo with your face on truth.social? https://bsky.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:j5fb...
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#15I think this might be a misinterpretation of the word "responsible". If a platform lies or spread malicious content, it seems people want the platform to have the liability and consequences for the malfeasance. That is what most people mean by "responsible". Government sets the rules, and if someone fail to comply, there are consequences against those responsible. Government isn't responsible, it is holding them resp…
> If a platform lies or spread malicious content
but if the platform didnt go verify all content placed by users on it, does it count as "spreading" it?
I mean, there's nothing stopping anyone from publishing a book which spreads lies and malicious content - book banning is looked down upon these days. Why are the publishers not asked to be held to this same level? What makes a web platform different?
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#16I really struggle to understand why these companies think they need to function like governments when it comes to removing content from their platforms. Does it really all boil down to protecting any engagement at all costs? The men running these company live like wannabe kings but have absolutely no backbone when it comes to having a stance about moderating for basic decency and are profiting greatly off of festerin…
> The men running these company live like wannabe kings but have absolutely no backbone when it comes to having a stance about moderating for basic decency and are profiting greatly off of festering trash heaps.
The "but" is really throwing me for a loop, because to me it feels like one follows from the other.
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#17Actually, no, reasonable people do not want either platforms or governments to moderate content. Who defines what "problematic content" is?
Unmoderated platforms are pretty much useless. Having said that, I'd prefer governments to stay away from either moderating or forcing platforms to moderate content
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#18Several European governments have jailed people for social media posts. Many Europeans support this - they don't understand how government censorship can quickly get out of hand.
As for falsehoods: some people will be mistaken, some people will lie, and sometimes sarcasm will be misunderstood. Why should anyone be liable? It is on each individual to inform themselves, and to decide what to believe and what to disregard.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
It doesn't say "if your opinion is approved by the government". It doesn't say "if your opinion is correct". It makes no exceptions whatsoever, and that is what we need to strive for.
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#19There is a problem of agency here. Assuming that we are talking about platform of user-generated content, should the users be punished by what they post? The kind of punishment can do the government is different from what a platform can do, and somewhat they want to feel free to express themselves. This are factors taken into account by users at making decisions. In the other hand, what the platform does (through alg…
> should the users be punished by what they post?
What kind of punishment exactly?
If governments punish users for content, assuming the content isn't clearly illegal, that's government censorship and may be a free speech violation depending on jurisdiction.
Platforms censoring or prioritizing content is a private entity enforcing rules for what they're willing to host and distribute on the platform. I'm not sure that's punishment at all, people don't have to post there and there's no use of force or detention being threatened.
Re: People want platforms, not governments, to be responsible for moderating content
#20[deleted]