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Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

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Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#141

Post by Covzire »

madeofpalk wrote: post #139
Covzire wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There really is no alternative to the current crop of tech giants. They literally have a monopoly on social media and are all extremely left-leaning, and increasingly hostile to any legal dissent. There are three scenarios I see playing out. 1. The tech giants use their influence to get enough Democrats elected in 2018 to keep crushing any political dissent on their platforms that reaches any kind of popularity. They…

> There really is no alternative to the current crop of tech giants This is a truth. The current laws haven't done a good job at modernising and adapting to the influence these tech giants have and how they operate. > and are all extremely left-leaning Here's the question worth considering: Are they extremely/abnormally left leaning, or is the world getting more left leaning? What makes them left leaning? Because the…

I'm not here to defend Jones, but I'd rather live in a world where people decide to avoid objectionable sources on their own, instead of some big brother or sister making that decision for me.

I see the world of information like an immune system. If your system is active and repelling threats, it gets stronger. If you are never allowed to see actual threats, your system atrophies and you become the intellectual equivalent of a native American when a European colonialist shows up at your door. Bad ideas from your own side will come some day, and if your big brother has been suppressing dissent enough, you'll accept those bad ideas like a lemming off a cliff.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#142

Post by hnisgroupthink »

orionblastar wrote: post #90

Here is a thread on Reddit that explains it more: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/94xu2n/apple_is... He's basically lying to sell products when he lied about Sandy Hook being fake the victim's families got doxed by his crazed fans. He also claimed the government was putting chemicals in the water that turns frogs gay, implying that the same chemicals turn people gay, etc. This is really hurting people an…

He's a comedian. Yes, he is bill hicks. Almost 100% sure, and I spent a long time researching it.

It's a performance art, like the colbert show but he doesn't wink at the camera the whole time.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#143

Post by madeofpalk »

Covzire wrote: post #141
madeofpalk wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There really is no alternative to the current crop of tech giants This is a truth. The current laws haven't done a good job at modernising and adapting to the influence these tech giants have and how they operate. > and are all extremely left-leaning Here's the question worth considering: Are they extremely/abnormally left leaning, or is the world getting more left leaning? What makes them left leaning? Because the…

I'm not here to defend Jones, but I'd rather live in a world where people decide to avoid objectionable sources on their own, instead of some big brother or sister making that decision for me. I see the world of information like an immune system. If your system is active and repelling threats, it gets stronger. If you are never allowed to see actual threats, your system atrophies and you become the intellectual equiv…

I don't see this some "big brother" making decisions for you, but rather people at Apple, Youtube, etc making decisions about what objectionable content they want on their sites.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#144

Post by dmix »

singularity2001 wrote: post #115
singularity2001 wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Apple is completely in the wrong here. They are unnecessarily censoring. They should not censor, they must not censor. If this crook called Alex engaged in nonsense and hate-speech it should be the state's obligation to sue him.

Wow, being pro censorship is mainstream now?

Sadly there's a very popular group of people pushing for censorship in their partisan political battles online.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#145

Post by dmix »

vixen99 wrote: post #94
unixhero wrote: post #2

A slippery slope, but yeah, that rubbish had to go.

And as on HN, 'rubbish' (or anything we really would prefer not to see even if someone else would) is defined by users' actions.

Which is far preferable than Apple (FB, Youtube) deciding it for us.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#146

Post by dmix »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #82
yontherubicon wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Jewish Mafia There's a Jewish Mafia? >Pizzagate He talked about it, sure, but if you can find me where he promotes violence against Alefantis then I'll eat my hat.

> There's a Jewish Mafia? According to Jones [1][2]. (To be clear, there was a strain of Jewish-American organized crime around the turn of the last century [3], but that isn't what Jones was referring to.) [1] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/26/13418304/... [2] https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/alex-jones-five-... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish-American_organized_crim...

Vox is a cancerous place to cite any political opinion...

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#147

Post by freeall »

karpodiem wrote: post #135

He should just put a .torrent up of the video after the show, have his followers upload it to YouTube, and have a form they can report the URL back so he can embed the video. He won't get ad revenue, but he'll still get to his message out.

I think Alex Jones is way more about the ad revenue than his message.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#148

Post by undseg »

jazzyk wrote: post #116
mijamo wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Main street is public. And as far as I know the owner of the land can kick you when they want, for instance in malls or such. So Apple censoring is the same as a mall refusing you to hold a protest there, which happens all the time.

Q: Which part of the Web is public (like the roads)? A: None. - Apple is a private entity. - Verizon (and all other ISPs) is/are a private entity. - Telecom equipment and communication hubs are private entities. If they wish, they can make you a non-existent entity (on the Web). We have two options: - regulate some companies as utilities - build a public network (just like the roads).

Having the basic right of internet access being treated as a public utility would help greatly with these issues, I agree. It would help with monopolies and issues with regulation.

Of course, I don't see such an opinion being particularly welcomed here.

A chunk of the basic infrastructure of the internet is free just out of sheer luck (good willed inventors and founders).

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#149

Post by undseg »

simoalx wrote: post #93
yuvalr1 wrote: post #47

Although I'm happy seeing this kind of content removed, I'm really afraid of a future where private corporations have such a definitive influence of free speech. They set their own rules, and it's dangerous.

Alex Jones has the complete and total benefits of free speech - he can continue saying whatever he wants without any repercussions from the government. Apple making a decision like this isn't influencing free speech in the slightest.

Free speech is not a concept that only exists in your constitution. It's a mistake to bring up the First Amendment in these cases just as much as it is to think that Free Speech only refers to the First Amendment or repercussion from the Govt.

Re: Apple is removing Alex Jones and InfoWars’ podcasts from iTunes

#150

Post by undseg »

cm2187 wrote: post #28
matthewmacleod wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Freedom of speech” does not include the right to demand that third parties are partners in your activities. Infowars is and should remain free to publish content independently of these providers, which they can easily do.

But where does "partner" start? Is your cloud provider a partner to what you put online? Is Comcast partner to what you do online with your internet connection? Is your electricity company partner to what you do with your energy?

This is such an under-discussed argument.

Of course a private entity can disregard morality for the good of the public in their decisions (they're after profits), but what happens when that private entity becomes the town square? Or when it has monopoly over something that has become a basic utility for everyone?

At this time I'm starting to cringe at opinions defending these actions with "it's a private entity".

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