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I find it so funny how people think "freedom of speech" protects them from private enterprises. The first amendment protects your right to freedom of speech from the GOVERNMENT, and only the government. "Congress shall make no law..."

Their algorithm is not interfering with your free speech because you have no right to free speech on THEIR platform. Facebook can manipulate you, shame you, ban you, etc. from their platform and you have (practically) no recourse. They don't owe you anything, you chose to use their service and abide by their rules. No one is forcing you to use them or any platform (whether or not you feel social pressure to do so is another matter). I choose not to engage with most social media and am much happier for it.

All that said, I DO think some social media platforms have overstepped their Section 230 protections and are dipping their toes into publisher territory. They want their cake and to eat it too.




The First Amendment, as you correctly point out, protects freedom of speech in certain cases that are not really relevant here.

However, people might support a higher standard for freedom of speech, and might wish businesses also concur in protecting it.

This is not in the law, but very often people have moral standards that are stricter than the law.

Therefore, I don’t see any contradiction here.

Myself, I full acknowledge that Facebook is not bound to grant freedom of speech to its users by the First Amendment, but I still wish it did so.


This. Human rights are universal rights regardless of who attempts to exert control. Government is in particular interesting because of its monopoly in violence, but other powerful actors and groups need to be responsible and accountable as well.




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