This is the real story. Everyone bashing the tech companies has it wrong.
The techs have been walking a fine line, leaving as much stuff out there as possible while still appeasing the advertisers. Now, in the last week, there's been a huge wave of advertisers saying they're going to boycott social media until they clean up "hate speech".
The advertisers have always been driving this bus, not the social media companies, and now they're on the warpath.
People who've wanted to regulate the techs are going to be wishing for the good old days because the advertisers are going to crush debate.
“The techs have been walking a fine line, leaving as much stuff out there as possible while still appeasing the advertisers.”
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Yeah, “fine line” - that’s the ticket!:
Facebook Content Moderator: “If Someone’s Wearing MAGA Hat, I’m Going to Delete Them for Terrorism”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/06/23/facebook_content_moderator_if_someones_wearing_maga_hat_im_going_to_delete_them_for_terrorism.html
At this point I don’t care what the reasoning is behind their censorship. Whether it’s personal distaste for conservatives or advertisers threatening business.
Conservative businesses have a laundry it of things they cannot discriminate against without facing lawsuits. These media giants AND their advertisers seem to have free-reign to intimidate as they see fit. Your ‘Free market” arguements are increasingly unappealing to the side that is getting treated in such a lopsided manner.
You know as well as I do that these businesses could be culled by government if it wished. The only thing lacking is the will. Well, I want to see that will. It’s not impossible if conservatives merely get as nasty as the Left. Start prosecuting both the tech giants AND the advertisers. HArrass them, shop around for judges, threaten audits, whatever it takes. Treat them just as the Left treats the political right. But above all just do it.