In a privately owned entity can't they control content? If I'm not mistaken all the social media platforms we all use are privately held twitter/bookoffaces/instagram/etc. Why are we surprised when we're silenced/shadow banned. Does the 1st amendment apply here? If I owned one of these platforms, I might think I can control content because it's america, and we're free. Flame suit on................Discussion is of course preferable.
For years Internet companies pushed for Congress to enact legislation which held them harmless for the content of messages posted to their services by clients. They got it. The Communications Decency Act of 1996. Section 230, as it came to be called, is the legislation that ensures that online services aren’t liable for user-generated content. It creates a “safe harbor” for online services, allowing them to operate without the threat of being shut down over the actions of their users. The principal argument that won over the politicians was that the Internet companies (ISP's and social sites) did not "edit" the posts for content the way traditional media (new and TV) does, so they are not responsible for its content.
As long as "understandings" remained that way all was fair. But then, along came Google, FB, Twitter and the like. During the run up to the 2016 election it became obvious that posts by ordinary citizens were having a large affect on the thinking of voters. The dam broke when Wikileaks published the emails released by a whistle blower at the DNC. Suddenly, HIllary's and Podesta's laundry were hanging out in the air for everyone to see. And, those emails exposed one other fact that many Conservatives assumed but couldn't prove: the media was in bed with the Democrats. 95 of the top talking heads of TV News met for dinner with Podesta in April of 2015 in order to discuss how to "present Hillary's campaign to the public" during the next 18 months prior to Nov of 2016. Armed with that information the term "Fake News" began being applied to many of the news stories about the politicians campaigns, especially Trump's.
Since the election of Trump the MNM have gone overboard to smear Trump in every possible way, even to making up accusations and claims out of thin air. My first presidential election was between Goldwater and Johnson. I was told that if I voted for Goldwater there would be war. I voted for Goldwater and there was war. Johnson lied about the gulf of Tonkin incident to start it. Since Goldwater, who was smeared badly, I have never seen a president treated so roughly and unfairly as President Trump has been treated. David Muir of ABC Evening News starts each broadcast with a 15 minute tirade against Trump.
The 2016 election also saw the beginnings of Google, FB and YouTube censorship of any views to their right of the corporate CEOs, who are known and dedicated Marxists.
Our elected officials in Congress, especially the Democrats and RHINOS, since they can't constitutionally monitor or censor the free speech of citizens, have outsourced that task to their allies in the social websites. The socials are private companies but by selectively censoring conservative posts/accounts they have abandon the safe harbor of Section 230. Their platforms represent the digital public square. As such, EVERYONE should be given the unhindered opportunity to express their opinion in that digital public square without fear access denial or censorship. Congress should revisit Section 230 and specifically declare Internet social websites a First Amendment zone. Facebook has already shown us what the outcome of censorship will be if the Bill of Rights isn't applied.
https://www.verdict.co.uk/facebook-rating-score-china-social-credit/Facebook has confirmed that it now ranks some of its users on a trustworthiness scale, prompting comparisons to China’s Social Credit System.
The social media giant reportedly assigns users with a reputation score between zero and one. According to the Washington Post, who broke the story, Facebook has been developing the system over the past year.
It forms part of a wider crackdown on fake news and misinformation, a scheme first started by Facebook in 2016.
In case you have any doubts, that "crackdown" has been almost entirely against Conservatives and their accounts. The FB system is almost a direct copy of China's system for social ranking.
https://www.marketplace.org/2018/02/13/world/social-credit-score-china-blacklistedand Google helped China set it in place.