Saturday, January 09, 2021

A Quandary

 This question may be better suited to a scholarly paper than a blog post, but here goes.

Big Tech is banning President Trump on Twitter and other platforms because they don't like his message. He tends to violate "community standards" that they have laid out, and that require a degree in corporate law to understand.  Some say that these policies violate free speech that is regarded as absolutely essential toa free society.

I get it.  Free speech is molecularity tied to the American experience.  So are property rights, and that is where the tension is based.  Jack Dorsey is the big boss in a company called Twitter.  Many Americans (but not me) have an account on Twitter.  Likewise Facebook, although I do have an account on Facebook.  It lets me keep up with the kids and grandkids, and my friends in the Fast Draw community.  Yet, I know folks who have been suspended on Facebook (Facebook jail) because they violated some obscure standard in weird communication.

At one point before the Army, I worked for an outfit called the Bell System.  A huge corporation that controlled the telecommunications industry.  They heartily resisted intrusions on their business model, yet over time, they were broken up by the federal government because their business model was both crucially essential to the national defense, and also an absolute monopoly.  In the '50s and '60s, if you worked in the telephone industry, you worded for the Bell System, or one of it's subsidiaries.  They owned the telephone poles and the wires and the phone in your kitchen.

Now, here in early 2021, we learn that Twitter can control the communication of everyone, including the President of the United States.  If you are going to use their platform, you have to play by their rules.  And, those rules change from week to week.  And, what most people don't realize is that even if you have a Twitter, or Facebook, or Instagram account, you are not a customer.  Customers pay for a service.  These accounts are free.

Twitter gives away a lot of free accounts, yet we learn from Google that Twitter had 2019 revenues in excess of $3 billion.  Whomever is writing those checks is the customer.  Those with free accounts are the product being sold.

Did Twitter do the right thing in banning President Trump?  It's his business.  Is Apple within it's right to ban the startup platform Parler from it's app store?  It's their app store.  At what point do property rights become subservient to free speech?  It's a quandary.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go out to the shop ad set up the range to celebrate another American liberty.  The club is meeting this morning and they will expect coffee.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

They can only control you if You allow it. Go to Parler instead of Twatter, Rumble instead of Utube. There are options while there remains a few that don't want to play games.

Hoping not to go to box#4

Getting tired of games

God Bless and Help us.
WI Patriot III%

robert said...

The dems are now full blown socialists[communists] and you will soon come under fire as will every free thinking lover of Liberty . They are now banning preachers on youtubz for violating the community standards . They are leaving us with only one box to stand on and I think you know which box that is . When our president is banned that speaks volumes ! Trump tried to get the protection given the tech companies over turned but the Turtle [Mitch] stopped it just last week . Our problem will only grow worse . Hope you bought plenty of ammo when it was dirt cheap .

Old NFO said...

Yep, the choices are narrowing... In other news, they are now coming after Fox and Newsmax, wanting them banned from cable TV!

Fred G. Bumstead said...

If things get spicy, Fartbook, Twatter, ZNN, Googal, and other corporate entities will be targets also.

Ryan said...

I very much appreciate your take.

It has been curious to me that many conservative friends who rallied behind bakers that don’t want to put two male figurines on top of a cake and such were incensed president trump got kicked off social media.

Can’t have it both ways.

dogsledder said...

OK, Ryan, if that is true then the Social-ist media should not have immunity from liability. They can't have it both ways either.

Ryan said...

Hmm. Liability laws for pet favored industries are a funky thing. People like them when they favor a cause and want the industry protected.

Case in point, gun companies.