Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told senators Wednesday during a 230 hearing by the Commerce committee that free speech is an “equity” that should be weighed against other considerations. That’s our First Amendment he is talking about.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said that Facebook is “picking winners and losers” and that the company is “inserting itself” into the issue of free speech. “Is the First Amendment a given right, or is that a competing equity?” she asked, referencing Zuckerberg’s earlier commentary.
“I believe strongly in free expression,” Zuckerberg replied. “But I do think that, like all equities, it is balanced against other equities, like safety and privacy.”
“Even the people who believe in the strongest possible interpretation of the First Amendment still believe there should be some limits on speech when it could cause risk of imminent physical harm. The kind of famous example that’s used is that you can’t shout fire in a crowded theater,” Zuckerberg added. “So I think that getting those equities right and the balance right is the challenge that we face.”
And who will decide what we can say and how we say it? The media?
Facebook is censoring the NY Post articles about Joe and Hunter Biden’s China deal.
Senator Blackburn also noted in speaking with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey that he censored Joe Biden zero times and Donald Trump 65 times.
Senator Blackburn has made herself clear:
Information should not be suppressed just because a content moderator disagrees with what’s being said. Freedom of speech is the right of every American, not just those with the loudest voices. pic.twitter.com/ESybIon4F4
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 27, 2020
If anyone thinks these two leftists care about our rights or the Constitution, they’re nuts. This new definition is very dangerous and don’t expect Joe Biden or Kamala Harris to protect any of our rights. They have clearly agreed with Mr. Zuckerberg in the recent past. Biden has demanded ads and posts unfavorable to him be removed.
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Why does anybody still use Facebook or Twitter? There are other social media platforms that do not censor anybody; conservatives or the leftists.
And no, I don’t use any of them because my private life is my private business.
@ Greg,
Doxxing, poxxing, should all be crimes but the rule of law got deleted by the historic pen and phone.
Posting up personal info is over the line. I have to keep one step ahead of a haxxor bud who started at age 7 when we started in the fifth grade with a field trip to day long computer camp back in the 80s.
Never used the Twitter machine (h/t/-Dana L) or any of that social media and won’t be anytime soon.
No diss against those who do as you are reaching friends/fam and keeping in contact with like minded people.
It really burns me when these Tech Elites talk about privacy. It’s quite difficult to contact them when not on their platforms. THEN, when you do, they just blow you off. Dorsey pretty much let the cat out of the bag by saying “it didn’t violate our TOS”. The greater satisfaction will be seeing him go to jail, rather than being banned on social media. He made a post about being scared to death in spending 10 – 30 yrs. in jail. He doesn’t want to go back prison. Come to find out he’s spent around 35 years all over in and out of prison. I have thought about taking a trip there just to see his trial. He’s one of those “jailhouse lawyers”. You would Not believe the motion he filed to recuse the judge.
I think many can attest Twitter and Facebook are as inconsistent in enforcing policies as can be. They “say” their companies are against bullying, posting personal information and other targeted harassment policies. My sister is on social media and spent the last two years fighting against such a person. This one person even created blogs on Google and WordPress with personal information and phony legal documents. Because it was my sister and gave her support with documents I, too, was targeted. Together we were able to have Google remove theirs with a statement that the person would no longer be able to have an account. WordPress took more to get it removed. They assumed the posted documents were actual court documents. Only after informing them the documents were not court documents, but a document the person generated themselves. After that, it was immediately removed. Evidently Facebook doesn’t care about their own stated “policies” because that person still has an account in his name. He is awaiting trial for three counts of aggravated assault, with a knife, and has tried intimidating and threatening one witness, yet Facebook still allows the account. Twitter has it own issues. As @Jack had said on Joe Rogan, there is a protected class that will not allow those within it to be banned or removed. Join that and you can stay on their site.
You mean that first amendment thingie? That is open to interpretation by tech czar comrades and not really settled law. Oh…wait.