Elon Musk acquires Twitter

[CharlesPhipps]

I believe in free speech.

I also believe it's absolute nonsense to state free speech applies on forums or aps.

They're the private property of the owners.

[Riedquat]

I believe in free speech.

I also believe it's absolute nonsense to state free speech applies on forums or aps.

They're the private property of the owners.

The way I look at that is that free speech is an absolute, but it doesn't mean anyone's obliged to lend you the use of their soapbox.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I believe in free speech.

I also believe it's absolute nonsense to state free speech applies on forums or aps.

They're the private property of the owners.

Free Speech is a general principle. The affordance from the constitution is a specific condition, not to belabor a point. In general, companies can conspire to conceal or censor information, though transparency still channels itself through brand appeal and employer/employee standards, for instance.

Whether or not it is problematic is indeed controversial, but vague nonetheless. Whether or not a company should or shouldn't censor something is just based on partisan beliefs a lot of the time lol.

[Madner Kami]

Free Speech is a general principle.

No, it is not. Let me copypaste your own Constitution, First Amendement to be precise:

First Amendment

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.

Note how it says "Congress shall not". It's in essence a contract between the people and the state, for the state to not censor what the people want to say. It says nothing about what you are allowed to say or not to say on someone else's turf. You got your feet under Twitter's table? Twitter got last say on what you are allowed to say.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I think you misunderstand what general means. It doesn't mean that it's not in the constitution lol. I made direct reference to it as a constitutional amendment.

[CharlesPhipps]

Mind you, whether a Hollywood leftist or a Republican conspiracy theorist, I believe anyone peddling anti-vaxx nonsense should be banned.

[Frustration]

I believe in free speech.

The legal right to free speech applies only to restrictions on the government. But "free speech" as a value, ideal, and ethos can occur anywhere.

The problems with sites like Twitter is that they claim exemption from regulation because they're supposedly not political actors, yet insist on restricting speech on political topics.

[CharlesPhipps]

The legal right to free speech applies only to restrictions on the government. But "free speech" as a value, ideal, and ethos can occur anywhere.

The problems with sites like Twitter is that they claim exemption from regulation because they're supposedly not political actors, yet insist on restricting speech on political topics.

I feel this isn't actually a distinction if you consider virtual space private property. Any moderator can and should be able to regulate content on their website as they see fit. The problem is that Twitter is something that certain politicians salivate over and resent being restricted in content on their response.

And the attempts to create rival ones have failed.

They must be doing something right, though, because both sides of the political spectrum hate them.

[Frustration]

If Twitter wants to apply whatever policies they wish, that's fine.

But they won't have the protection of arguing that they're not responsible for what people post, when they also exert control over what people post.

If their policies involve making judgment calls, then they can be sued for the things they let go through.

[hammerofglass]

If twitter was held legally responsible for what people post it would have a real liberal bias pretty quickly. Anyone repeating conservative talking points about why certain people should not be allowed to participate fully in society would be permabanned for hate speech in the first week.