Posted on Oct 17, 2020
Should Twitter and Facebook be considered Public Utilities and regulated as such?
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Many people are heavily influenced by what they see on Twitter, Face Book and Rally Point. Should they be compelled to be straightforward, honest, to publish all referred information and to not suppress information? SGT Philip Roncari
Media
Online Media
Social Media
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 5
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I say no because that would require every social media platform to be a public utility.
I do believe there should be fines when a large platform spreads misinformation though. Like you said, a lot of people read these and are heavily influenced by the information they see on these platforms. I think once a platform hits a certain size, they have a responsibility to support the good of society and that by standing back and pretending they have no influence on their content, they are encouraging far left/right extremism and/or conspiracy theories to proliferate.
Basically, if you don't tend the yard the weeds take over. If you're going to have a yard that big you have a responsibility to take care of it. It's a social contract
I do believe there should be fines when a large platform spreads misinformation though. Like you said, a lot of people read these and are heavily influenced by the information they see on these platforms. I think once a platform hits a certain size, they have a responsibility to support the good of society and that by standing back and pretending they have no influence on their content, they are encouraging far left/right extremism and/or conspiracy theories to proliferate.
Basically, if you don't tend the yard the weeds take over. If you're going to have a yard that big you have a responsibility to take care of it. It's a social contract
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CSM Charles Hayden
Social contract, yes. Responsibility, yes.
Fines for misinformation, Yes!
Enforceable by ?, via ?
Fines for misinformation, Yes!
Enforceable by ?, via ?
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SFC (Join to see)
CSM Charles Hayden that's the hardest part. It would have to be enforced by the FCC and they are mercurial in what they enforce and who is in control.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
My problem with that is that CDA 320 has been interpreted to give the Big Tech guys almost total immunity from liability of content, and now that immunity has been expanded to allow those companies to "moderate" content without consequences. The providers of content have almost no rights if there site is flagged, banned or demonetized, and so far the courts have not chosen to intervene, even though the immunity from liability was supposed to be a protection that allowed free exchange on the net.
To make that clear, as a private company, they aren't restricted by First Amendment, but they were give liability protection against liable and copyright infringement, that is now being interpreted as giving them the right to moderate content without worrying about legal protections for their providers.
You are seeing the worst of it with the various Tweeter bans this election, but YouTube, Facebook, Patreon and Spotify are all following suit.
To make that clear, as a private company, they aren't restricted by First Amendment, but they were give liability protection against liable and copyright infringement, that is now being interpreted as giving them the right to moderate content without worrying about legal protections for their providers.
You are seeing the worst of it with the various Tweeter bans this election, but YouTube, Facebook, Patreon and Spotify are all following suit.
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The greater overall problem stems from the astronomically lowed barriers of entry to mass communication.
See, many moons ago I was a PAPER BOY (do folks even know what that is?) and really only three means of media exposure existed; TV, Radio, and Print. I suppose word of mouth too.
Anyway.............. one had to OWN the delivery method to get the message out to the masses. So there were only a FEW such sources such as newspaper facilities, TV and Radio stations with corporate owners and regulated by the FCC.
Then to become a reporter one had to actually get an EDUCATION and be taught to a certain level reporting ethics.
Then through ALL OF THAT, through economic capital of investing in the distribution means, and hiring professionally trained reporters could the message get out.
Now............... any moron can shoot their mouth off and the message is seen/heard by MILLIONS at little to no cost of time or resources. Facebook and Twitter are staffed with thousands of censors probably without any education in media ethics. If it makes them feel funny they nix it.
That's the larger over all problem. I mean FB and Twitter could be regulated as such, but at the end of the day the Internet genie is out of the bottle. It doesn't stop morons in their basement who haven't seen the light of day in years from reaching millions of naive viewers through some other internet channel or link.
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I think the world wide connection has led to the degradation of local communities. We now compare our lives and success against a much larger population of inclusion. Whereas before, our benchmarks were localized by our neighbors and coworkers in our community. Our envy goes well beyond our neighborhood and against those unrealistically out of our reach (which I also believe has played a part in the drive of consumerism in our society).
See, many moons ago I was a PAPER BOY (do folks even know what that is?) and really only three means of media exposure existed; TV, Radio, and Print. I suppose word of mouth too.
Anyway.............. one had to OWN the delivery method to get the message out to the masses. So there were only a FEW such sources such as newspaper facilities, TV and Radio stations with corporate owners and regulated by the FCC.
Then to become a reporter one had to actually get an EDUCATION and be taught to a certain level reporting ethics.
Then through ALL OF THAT, through economic capital of investing in the distribution means, and hiring professionally trained reporters could the message get out.
Now............... any moron can shoot their mouth off and the message is seen/heard by MILLIONS at little to no cost of time or resources. Facebook and Twitter are staffed with thousands of censors probably without any education in media ethics. If it makes them feel funny they nix it.
That's the larger over all problem. I mean FB and Twitter could be regulated as such, but at the end of the day the Internet genie is out of the bottle. It doesn't stop morons in their basement who haven't seen the light of day in years from reaching millions of naive viewers through some other internet channel or link.
*************
I think the world wide connection has led to the degradation of local communities. We now compare our lives and success against a much larger population of inclusion. Whereas before, our benchmarks were localized by our neighbors and coworkers in our community. Our envy goes well beyond our neighborhood and against those unrealistically out of our reach (which I also believe has played a part in the drive of consumerism in our society).
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CSM Charles Hayden
CPT (Join to see) Me too, I was a paper boy driving a 3 wheeled Cushman Motor Scooter.
There were problems: a plate glass, picture window was like a magnet for the newspaper when I threw it, oops!
The “company’s” scooter was not in the best of condition, the lights were those of a tired flashlight and I crashed into a parked car. That little collision ruined the scooter and the job. (I was 15 years old and did not have a ?drivers license).
My biggest regret was in not being able to sneak peeks at Play Boy, the NEW risqué photo magazine, which were also stacked in front of the drugstore while I folding newspapers there.
There were problems: a plate glass, picture window was like a magnet for the newspaper when I threw it, oops!
The “company’s” scooter was not in the best of condition, the lights were those of a tired flashlight and I crashed into a parked car. That little collision ruined the scooter and the job. (I was 15 years old and did not have a ?drivers license).
My biggest regret was in not being able to sneak peeks at Play Boy, the NEW risqué photo magazine, which were also stacked in front of the drugstore while I folding newspapers there.
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CPT (Join to see)
I never broke anything with a paper, and was an ACE when it came to throwing quasi regular sized ones (90% accuracy on the doormat from the street if it wasn't a Sunday paper). Did it for 3 years up until high school (no scooters for me) Found out years later my paper was cheating kids out of income (basically, the coordinator was skimming from our proceeds). A life time later as a finance professional I can totally see it now (I was always coming up short and never making my income per paper quota and only was making income off tips).
As for Playboy. Dad had a subscription, and that was back in the days where they were only covered with paper covers and could be re covered and put back in the mail box before the parents got home (wink ;-)
As for Playboy. Dad had a subscription, and that was back in the days where they were only covered with paper covers and could be re covered and put back in the mail box before the parents got home (wink ;-)
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https://nypost.com/2020/10/16/twitter-still-holding-the-posts-account-hostage-over-hunter-biden-links/
CSM Charles Hayden They allow every single allegation and falshood about president trump to be published unimpeded but silicon Valley has its agenda and is actually pumping money into the sleepy Joe campaign.
CSM Charles Hayden They allow every single allegation and falshood about president trump to be published unimpeded but silicon Valley has its agenda and is actually pumping money into the sleepy Joe campaign.
Twitter still holding The Post’s account hostage over Hunter Biden links
Twitter has refused to unlock The Post’s account unless the news organization deletes six tweets about its own reportingon Hunter Biden’s emails — despite a policy change sp…
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