I imagine we’ll be getting some posts now about how “private companies” can do whatever they want. Suppose an advertising agency with a monopoly on billboards decided to refuse to sell billboards to a specific political party two months before an election. Would that be permissible because they were a private company?
Does it not seem ridiculous that we’ve spent two years hearing about how horrible Russian influence on social media in 2016 was, but we’re now supposed to think nothing of companies that are largely influenced by China dictating what can and cannot be seen on the internet?
I don't know why we're not seeing lawsuits about clear and numerous breaches of their own 30-page Terms Of Service Agreements. I've seen the violations pointed out in chapter and verse here and there but I'm too lazy to look those links up right now.
“I imagine we’ll be getting some posts now about how “private companies” can do whatever they want.”
Because they are, whether some people on FR have decided that socialism is cool as long as they do it.
“Suppose an advertising agency with a monopoly on billboards decided to refuse to sell billboards to a specific political party two months before an election. Would that be permissible because they were a private company?”
Yes. They are not obligated to print your sign, just like a cake baker can be the only one in town and not want to bake a cake for a gay wedding.
And Google, Twitter, and Facebook are not monopolies. Their user base are made up of addicted idiots that cant bring themselves to use another platform. That’s not those companies problem. If they were actively working to deprive competitors their ability to run their own service, then you have an issue.
The iPod/iTunes is the classic example. 90% of the MP3 player market at a time. Not a monopoly. Just absurdly popular despite available alternatives that people should have been using.
It is cronyism pure and simple. Actually out of control in this world due to the Globalist Cronies. Google is presenting its product as unbiased, yet it is favoring its friendly liberal customers. If Google advertised itself as anti Trump or as a liberal left leaning search engine, it would not be in violation of false labeling laws for starters. Conservatives need to file a class action law suit and split these behemoths at their mouths.