> It's 100% inline with free speech to let a given website decide what they want to publish.
Imagine I make a website where I censor everything except pro Trump memes. Is that a bastion of free speech, compared to a website where I allow, y'know, actual free speech and discourse?
I can't stand when people try to conflate the first amendment with freedom of speech. Nobody is (seriously) arguing that websites shouldn't have the legal freedom under our government to limit speech to whatever they desire. What we're arguing is that these platforms ought to value free speech as a principle and act impartially. Of course they have, and should have, the freedom to censor whatever they want for whatever reasons they want. But they should have the integrity not to.
Facebook and Twitter have never been impartial principled venues for free speech. They have blocked content from the very beginning, mostly relating to sex and violence. Facebook even banned photos of mothers breastfeeding their children.
And they make editorial decisions constantly about what content each person sees. The fact that these decisions are scaled by computer algorithms does not mean they are not happening.
This idea that they are neutral and free communications channels is a marketing message that they invented and pushed, because they thought it would help them succeed in business. We don’t have to believe them.
They’re just private companies, two among millions. If they make unpopular decisions about how to operate, they will fail. They should be allowed to do that.
Conversely, if they make popular decisions that you disagree with, it doesn’t mean the whole concept of free speech is damaged. Again: just two companies.
>What we're arguing is that these platforms ought to value free speech as a principle and act impartially. [...] But they should have the integrity not to.
But you're ignoring the fact that the corporations' value system consists of maximizing profit.
Anything that isn't pushing in that direction is both a distraction and a hindrance to the stated goals of the corporation -- making money.
Valuing free speech or having integrity are laudable ideals. I do my best to prioritize both. Sometimes I fail. But I do the best I can.
But my (or your) goals as an individual aren't relevant in this context.
Changing the incentives for these corporations to do whatever it takes to maximize profit would be a good thing.
That will entail the willingness of a majority of us to vote with our feet/wallet, likely aided with smart regulation.
But until we change those incentives/priorities, the status quo is what we'll get.
Imagine I make a website where I censor everything except pro Trump memes. Is that a bastion of free speech, compared to a website where I allow, y'know, actual free speech and discourse?
I can't stand when people try to conflate the first amendment with freedom of speech. Nobody is (seriously) arguing that websites shouldn't have the legal freedom under our government to limit speech to whatever they desire. What we're arguing is that these platforms ought to value free speech as a principle and act impartially. Of course they have, and should have, the freedom to censor whatever they want for whatever reasons they want. But they should have the integrity not to.