Surrendering our Freedom of Speech.

I am pretty sure by now it’s not news to anyone that Alex Jones has been banned from virtually all social media platforms that where once a cornerstone of his business. He was banned for breaching the terms and conditions of those platforms, notably by inciting violence. I personally have been quite torn on how I feel about this, on the one had he broke their terms and conditions in the view of those organisations and as such they are right to ban him. It is their house, their rules, they can ban him or anyone else if they want for any reason. Yet I cannot help but feel that this opens up a question that has to be asked about the role of social media and our freedom of speech.

The issue really is this, in our modern world, we are fully interconnected and hugely reliant on big business to exercise our basic right to freedom of speech in ways never before seen. Sure, nobody is actually stopping anyone from physically saying something or locking them up for saying something which they disagree with however social media have immense power over our freedom of speech.

It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, while social media has made it easier than ever to express one’s self to the masses and get the message heard instantly it has also rendered us reliant on their platforms to get that message heard. I think what has happened with Alex Jones demonstrates that they can, if they want, at will, just shut someone up for no other reason than disagreeing with that person’s views. To me this demonstrates a disturbing truth.

In exchange for the benefits that social media platforms offer we have traded in our freedom of speech.

Now sure, I can still go onto twitter and post whatever rubbish I want, I can post whatever I like on Facebook or post cat pics on Instagram all while vlogging about my most recent holiday on YouTube but in our modern world that also makes me depended on these services. They can theoretically whenever they want just ban me and instantaneously my freedom of speech and expression has become massively restricted in comparison to another individuals who is not banned form social media. They have power of my freedom of speech so then how free is it really, how free is freedom of speech when a corporation can stanch it away.

Honestly, I am not sure where I fall down on this argument, yes, at times social media platforms needs to have the ability to ban individuals who misuse their service or use it for criminal purposes. Yet at the sometime there is also the worrying truth that these organisations have the power to supress the freedom of speech of just about anyone with zero external oversight or regulation on this matter.

For me it’s just an interesting question that the recent banning of Alex Jones raises, as much as I disagree with everything the man has to say, it does raise the question about the ability of social media to supress freedom of speech.

Don't know why that idiot was banned.

Surely no one listened to that ranting lunatic?

Should of just let him be crazy and ignore him.. No one with a IQ over 75 would take him seriously surely?

Funny that. One complains about so many Tman threads on the front page and gets told to just ignore them. Then one gets a thread put in the Trash bin forum for reasons that seem murky. Seems there are no herd n fast rules governing anything.


Wth is the trash bin forum! Lol

No company should be compelled to broadcast your opinions for free.
His free speech was not compromised, he can still say and broadcast whatever he wants, he just needs to pay for hosting or set it up himself (both options are available.)
The right to use someone else's service to broadcast your ideas is not a Constitutionally protected right.

There are some soy boys and cuck liberals that reside on the coasts NYC, Seattle, Frisco and LA....... but the good 'ol folks from the Heartland of America say Hell No to any silencing, along with their lead spewing friends. We have solidarity and dare you to see it.

Curious how your liberal cities and worlds are crumbling.

Can I be really clear on something.

I DO NOT SUPPORT ALEX JONES IN ANYWAY.

The man is a utter moron, I totally get why he was banned, this thread isn't really about Alex Jones its just about the impact that social media have on our freedom of speech.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin


Corporations have always been an outlet for free speech. Newspapers choose which letters to the editor and op-eds to publish and how to present current events. Magazines do the same, so do TV and radio shows. Now, with the advent of social media, people have even more avenues to hear and express fringe points of view through corporate platforms, blogs, pod casts, etc. as well as more TV platforms, radio platforms. Not to mention all the mobilized and massive public protests we've seen since Trump was elected.

It used to be that fringe voices used "free press" outlets, pirate radio, street corners and impromptu demonstrations, when corporate powers that be blocked them, slandered or otherwise tried to silence them. I think today, free speech reigns freer than ever before, and that's got TPTB scared. Good luck to "them" trying to put that genii back in the bottle!

a reply to: Sookiechacha

That is a really good point thanks for posting it, pretty much agree with you in so much as I do think that freedom of speech has never really been freer and actually I think that there is an argument to be made for social media playing a huge part in that.

Yet I do think that in that context we can still discuss the impact that they have good and bad on preservation of freedom of speech.

a reply to: Elton

No company should be compelled to broadcast your opinions for free.

It seems some think that is what is meant by free speech.

originally posted by: DIEGLOKE2
Don't know why that idiot was banned.

Surely no one listened to that ranting lunatic?

Should of just let him be crazy and ignore him.. No one with a IQ over 75 would take him seriously surely?

Yeah, but you're talking about people on social media. How bright can someone be when they post videos of themselves committing crimes? If I owned Facebook, I wouldn't hire anyone stupid enough to have a Facebook account.

Newspapers choose which letters to the editor and op-eds to publish and how to present current events. Magazines do the same, so do TV and radio shows

Which is why it always a good idea to question and investigate that information versus blindly accepting it. The last election cycle comes to mind.

Despite the projections some would like to convey, America is Hip to the BS. We have been for a long time. President Trump has Proven that.! We saw to it...!

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Freedom of speech protects you from the government making laws to abridge your freedom of speech.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Freedom of speech does not protect you from businesses. facebook can kick you off it's platform if you act like a jackass. It's a business client relationship. You use their platform. And in the T&S, just like on this site, if you violate the T&S they warn you or ban you.

It was never a free speech issue.

a reply to: grey580

I get what you are saying but I am just talking about freedom of speech as a concept not in terms of the first amendment.

Also I keep getting this stuff about how its up to them, break their T&C and they ban you, yup, I totally agree its right there in my OP. pretty sure its in the first paragraph.

What I am saying is that as we become more and more reliant on social media platforms how does this impact on our freedom of speech. Companies like Facebook and YouTube kind of have a bit of a monopoly just now on online expression, when they start removing people I do think its fair to say that they are suppressing that individuals freedom of speech. I am kind of playing devils advocate here a little bit though because I do agree with what you are saying. I just think its something that is worthy of discussion.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Our speech has always been infringed upon and censored by the most powerful among us. This is just another iteration of it. Despite what others try to argue, not only Jones' free speech, but everyone's free speech, is compromised with every act of censorship.

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin
Freedom of speech protects you from the government making laws to abridge your freedom of speech.

The first amendment and free speech are not the same thing.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Like you mentioned in another thread (I believe) the public square is now privately owned.


Speaker's Corner has gone corporate.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

It impacts your freedom of speech in 0 ways.

Alex Jones is still free to = go out on a street corner and express his opinion as much as he likes to.

Just because you have freedom of speech. Doesn't mean that everyone has to listen to that freedom of speech.

facebook and other SMP's also have the added responsibility to protect their platform, users and investors. If Jones does something that incites a riot and the SMP in question hasn't taken steps to warn or ban Jones. Then they are liable. So I think we need to look at things from both sides before making an opinion.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

The video about Google gave me chills. In context of this, even moreso.

I can't stand the guy. But janking the rules to screw over someone you don't like just doesn't cut it with me. THey could have just as easily said "we don't want them there as a right of community management" and moved on. Wouldn't have made people any more happy...but at least they would be honest.

as it stands now, i see social media becoming a right/left thing and we can all settle into our little echo chambers.

a reply to: NiNjABackflip

That's fine.

At the same time. Just because you have free speech. Doesn't mean that a business or individuals have to listen to that speech. Especially if the speech is unethical, immoral, may incite violence etc.