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To: CivilWarBrewing
There was a court case not too long ago that affirmed they were a private company and not a public utility. I forget which social media company it was. They can censor all day and all night and they can do so because they are a private company.

Trump's exec order can only involve the exec branch or declare a national day of prayer - that sort of thing. I think it will be more along the lines of ordering the DOJ to investigate whether they are too big and should be split up, such as IBM and Ma Bell was sued by the government on the last day of LBJ's term and the suit was active into the 80s - or investigate the possibility they are public utilities subject to regulation (despite the law suit - things change) - or perhaps order the FEC to investigate election tampering...or all of them. I think that is where it is headed.

Trump just can't order them not to censor - it doesn't work that way. He is not a dictator and the law certainly doesn't support him in that effort.

386 posted on 05/28/2020 12:27:17 AM PDT by Dave W
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To: Dave W
Strong argument but I am convinced the case can be made where Twitter and Facebook have risen to the level of being public utilities. As you said, things change just as AT&T got too big for their britches and were ordered to be broken up.

I believe the fact that Twitter and Facebook are both publicly traded on the stock market makes a case for them behaving in a manner consistent with public needs where Constitutional Rights are concerned, specifically 'freedom of speech' and the CENSORSHIP thereof.

Good argument, see you in court! lol BTW, do you think the U.S. Military should still control the Internet?

537 posted on 05/28/2020 11:54:41 AM PDT by CivilWarBrewing (Get off my back for my usage of CAPS, especially you snowflake males! MAN UP!)
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