Posted on 02/08/2021 9:24:01 AM PST by SmokingJoe
The president of France, Emmanuel Macron has blasted Twitter and Facebook for de-platforming the former US president and their arbitrary implementation of content moderation policies. Other leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have also condemned the social media companies.
In an interview, the French president talked about the recent censorship and removal of Trump following the January 6 riots. The social media companies removed Trump for allegedly “inciting” the riots.
“We are very upset here in Paris [about the Capitol attack]. But at the same time, we were very upset, as well, by the fact that a few hours later, all the platforms … which helped President Trump to be so efficient, sometimes, to promote the same demonstrations, a few hours before, at the very second when they were sure that he was over, [out] of the power, suddenly cut the mic,” Macron said.
He argued that decisions as critical as silencing an elected leader should not be made by private companies.
“I don’t want to live in a democracy where the key decisions and the decision to, at a point of time, to cut your mic … is decided by a private player, a private social network,” he continued. “I want it to be decided by a law voted [on] by your representative, or by a regulation — a governance democratically discussed and approved by democratic leaders.”
Mainstream social media platforms seem to implement content moderation policies depending on their political ideologies.
(Excerpt) Read more at reclaimthenet.org ...
This is how low we have sunk - that a French president is doing more to defend our free speech than our own despicable, disgusting politicos.
“I don’t want to live in a democracy where the key decisions and the decision to, at a point of time, to cut your mic … is decided by a private player, a private social network,”
Yeah! That’s GOVERNMENTS Job:-)
> A little late for what?
The Presidential election for the leader of the free world.
^ comments
Yup, that's my take on this, too.
There is also an addictive issue that may have been overlooked. FB and Twit are intentionally designed with features i.e. likes, retweets, shares, etc. that are proven to have psychological effects (via release of dopamine) on certain USERS, young people are especially vunerable. USERS... is purposely capitalized as some studying the effects of social media using these technologies are pointing out the addictive and psychologically damaging results.
So when a government shuts down FB or Twit not only is communication cut off but they also have crazed individuals not able to get their fix running around with their hair on fire. Maybe it’s beneficial in the long run after people become aware of how consumed by use of tech they had become.
Similar to when the NFL shot itself in the head with the kneeling and BLM issues. I’ve read many comments from former fans finding more productive things to do with their time.
I rarely comment here at FreeRepublic. I’m grateful that Jim has made this forum available to us and for NOT adding the ‘like’ features that many of us have wanted in the past.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.