Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#311

Post by netsharc » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:51 AM UTC

mimikatz wrote: post #214

Great! lets have ISPs start blocking these sites. I am looking at you Verizon and ATT.

I don't have a problem with Amazon kicking this service out, but I do wonder how far it could go. What if the power company tell the individuals, "we do not wish to supply electricity to you". Or their phone company.

It would be a bit like China's social score and the banishment of people deemed bad by the system, but with an interesting corporate twist. Will there be a Trump-loving phone company to service these people, powered by Trump-loving electricity supplier? It'd be the libertarian wet dream.

And what if it starts hitting people I'm sympathetic with? PayPal froze WikiLeaks' account and I found that to be a cowardly action by them.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#312

Post by dstola » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:51 AM UTC

Slippery slope is accelerating. Soon any wrongthink will get you banned by the tech cabal.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#313

Post by e_commerce » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:51 AM UTC

Un-American, Cultural Revolution-tier garbage.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#314

Post by Daishiman » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:51 AM UTC

throwarayes wrote: post #284

I think the interesting test here might be whether a tool like Twitter could still be on AWS during an event like the Arab Spring to coordinate against repressive regimes. Or if those regimes could also claim the same “incites violence” exception and ask AWS to disable the service.

I don't know what makes you think that a) countries don't actively respond to attacks to their own institutions by blocking websites/content/providers or, b) that there's always going to be politics into play.

Social media platforms are not different from traditional news media in that their power to moderate and amplify carry real-world consequences and the value system used to take such choices is bound to the politics of the time. There are truly no neutral choices here.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#315

Post by fatbird » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:52 AM UTC

ENOTTY wrote: post #167

Reading Amazon's reasoning, tech companies are basically setting a standard that if you want to have user-generated content, you must have professional moderators. This seems like it will be a barrier to innovation.

Say it is a barrier to innovation. Is that a problem? Is the innovation that would occur, absent moderation, so valuable that we should allow the facilitation of anti-democratic coups in order to preserve it?

As engineers, we should understand trade-offs. We have more values than just "innovation!"

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#316

Post by seppin » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:52 AM UTC

mjfl wrote: post #146

I've read comments saying, "if you don't like Apple's policies, build a new smartphone." Are these people aware that that the same type of argument lead to the creation of parler: "if you don't like twitter censorship, build a new platform". It will be built. What then? At this point we are heading towards a complete mitosis of our information channels based on political ideology.

If you are so dedicated to having a platform that hosts direct calls for violence and murder, then create your own hosting service too.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#317

Post by 11thEarlOfMar » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:52 AM UTC

America has become the nation of instant justice.

Allegations are not evidence are not proof.

We are witnessing a mass lynching.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#318

Post by mudil » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:52 AM UTC

How about we look into censoring family environment? Why not to take kids away from the family and transfer them to the state or re-education camp so they are not exposed to the racist parents? Where's the end to it?

PS I came from Soviet Union and this is not a theoretical idea.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#319

Post by casefields » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:52 AM UTC

ed25519FUUU wrote: post #273

People love this and it honestly makes me sick. “Because what I don’t like is being removed I’m happy” —- Now what happens when something you DO like is removed? It will be like DMCA but for political content. They start with the obvious abuse and then whack anything they don’t like with it. AND YOU’RE ROLLING OUT THE WELCOME MAT!

The pendulum will swing and it'll come back to bite those cheering this on. It always happens.

Re: Amazon, Apple and Google Cut Off Parler

#320

Post by vc8f6vVV » Sun, Jan 10, 2021, 2:53 AM UTC

obvfaaaake wrote: post #241

When Egyptian government turns off internet during a revolution, we call them tyrants and celebrate Twitter for allowing people to communicate freely. Yet, when US turns off a side of an argument the marginally elected majority disagrees with, we praise it. Everything is fine...

Not US. Amazon is a private company. Their main goal is to make money (i.e. increase company value for their investors), they decided that this activity will eventually hurt making money. End of story.