Saturday, January 16, 2021

Bitter About Twitter

 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.


Banning Trump from Twitter, and other platforms, does not violate the first amendment above.  Only the government is precluded from limiting speech.  But even the government may act to prevent a clear and present danger.

To explain the rule the most common example is that a person does not have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater.  Meanwhile, my spin is that if someone does yell fire, the theater has the right to refuse to sell him a ticket to the next show.  That is what Twitter has done in accordance with its guidelines.

We pay a high price for the right to post pictures of our cats on Facebook or to rant on Twitter. Algorithms silo us into news bins that reinforce our beliefs rather than broaden our knowledge.  Facts are segregated.   No real alternative exists to the major platforms, leaving public discourse to the whims of large corporations.

Flaws aside, social media cannot be faulted for silencing the President.



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