While I disagree with Facebook’s position, it is a private business. Freedom of speech really does not apply. They can set the rules, just like Jim does here. It’s his site and he can and does exclude many things, most I agree with and some I don’t. It’s his baby.
Facebook is larger than most world governments.
It is more akin to a nation-state than it is to a “private business.”
Plus, they have engaged in bait-and-switch by allowing competing viewpoints to prevent the growth of rivals, then censoring those viewpoints as a crucial election approaches.
It’s called illegal election meddling.
> While I disagree with Facebook’s position, it is a private business. <
I’m not saying it’s true here...but is there some point when a business becomes so big that it becomes essentially a public utility?
FaceBook needs to be called out as a Robber Baron much like Standard Oil was treated in the early 1900’s.
Maybe Trump could reenact Teddy R.’s plays as a Trust Buster.
FR is not comparable to Facebook. FR is far more like a Facebook page that has thousands of followers.
And all the telecoms and cell providers are private companies, as well as most electric utilities. Can they deny service if they object to the political stances of customers?
“While I disagree with Facebook’s position, it is a private business. “
The bastards have abused it. Turn ‘em into public utilities and see how they like that.
Except that Facebook has achieved such a market dominance that it has become a natural monopoly. As such, it needs to be declared as a public utility and offer its services as a common carrier.
But Jim is up front about the mission of Free Republic, and has made it known from day one, that this is a conservative site that will not provide a platform for left-liberal views.
Facebook claims to be non partisan, and claims their 'community standards' are enforced evenly and fairly across the boards.
It's a complete lie, and a total misrepresentation of what they really are - which is nothing short of a global information powerhouse that promotes liberal thought and ideology - while simultaneously suppressing conservative opinion and activism.
Wrong.....Facebook and virtually all he social media are publicly-held companies.
They sold investors a bill of goods about their companies and are now reneging on the investing contract.
It is entirely possible that these activities and social media's exclusionary practices may have violated federal laws that may include, but not be limited, to:
<><> Title 18 U.S.C. §1341, Mail Fraud, 18 U.S.C.§1001, Presenting a False Document to an Agent of the US Government for funding (may involve several felonies and could include forgery);
<><> 18 U.S.C.§1027 False statements and concealment of facts in relation to documents required by ERISA enacted 1974 and other possible offenses including civil and/or criminal RICO violations.
<><> 18 U.S.C. §§1961-68 (RICO Act)18 U.S.C. §1001 (making false Statements to Agents of the US Government,
<><> 18 U.S.C. §241(Conspiracies Against Civil Rights). Violation of Civil Rights under Color of law and conspiracy. Conspiring with others to violate 4th amendment rights.
<><> Possibly full investigations centering on RICO conspiracies under 18 U.S.C. §1962(c) could be warranted because (1) the persons (2) were employed by or associated with a public enterprise (3) that engaged in or affected interstate commerce and that (4) the persons operated or managed the enterprise (5) through a “pattern” (6) of racketeering activity, and (7) the taxpayers were injured by reason of the “pattern” of racketeering activity.
<><> Alleged Offenses could include Violation of Rights – which prohibits in relevant part, “two or more persons (from conspiring) to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District
<><> Title 18 U.S.C. §2 41 – Conspiracy Against Constitutional mandates in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of having so exercised the same . . .” See, 18 U.S.C. §241.
Taxpayers should demand the following agencies commence investigations at once:
<><> FBI — Wire Fraud Division
<><> IRS-Fraud Unit
<><> Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General,
<><> Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General.
<><> DOJ’s Criminal Division— Public Integrity Section
<><> DOJ Criminal Division—Organized Crime and Gang Section.
=======================================
Call President Trump: Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414
US CONGRESS SWITCHBOARD: (202) 224-3121
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Comment Line: 202-353-1555
Switchboard: 202-514-2000
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and the rest consider themselves "platforms" and as such, are not liable for content under the DMCA. They want the freedom from liabilities afforded platforms (the same freedom that cell phone providers enjoy) but they want to behave as publishers and censor otherwise legal content they disapprove of.
They can't have it both ways. One or the other.
I disagree. Communications systems are a special case. Any communications system that censors, will eventually be used by government to do government censoring, in the manner China already forces Google to censor their content.
If it is allowed by law, all governments will use it as a back door to force censorship on ideas they don't like. The *ONLY* means of stopping it is to forbid censorship by law.
They can set the rules, just like Jim does here. It’s his site and he can and does exclude many things, most I agree with and some I don’t. It’s his baby.
This is fine when you are less than 1% of the total market. It is a major problem for the nation when you control 90% of the market, like Google does.
This Facebook Prospectus is what Zuckerberg used to dupe investors when he went public.
The prospectus describe "a public forum where all viewpoints are equally tolerated."
That's what he said....what he did was radically different.
THESE ARE ZUCKERBURG'S WORDS---From Facebook's IPO Prospectus dated May 3, 2012:
Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with their friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world around them, and to share and express what matters to them to the people they care about.
Developers can use the Facebook Platform to build applications (apps) and websites that integrate with Facebook to reach our global network of users and to build products that are more personalized, social, and engaging.
Advertisers can engage with more than 900 million monthly active users (MAUs) on Facebook or subsets of our users based on information they have chosen to share with us such as their age, location, gender, or interests. We offer advertisers a unique combination of reach, relevance, social context, and engagement to enhance the value of their ads.
We believe that we are at the forefront of enabling faster, easier, and richer communication between people and that Facebook has become an integral part of many of our users’ daily lives. We have experienced rapid growth in the number of users and their engagement.
[snip]
How We Create Value for Users
Our top priority is to build useful and engaging products that enable you to:
Connect with Your Friends. With more than 900 million MAUs worldwide, our users are increasingly able to find and stay connected with their friends, family, and colleagues on Facebook.
Discover and Learn. We believe that users come to Facebook to discover and learn more about what is going on in the world around them, particularly in the lives of their friends and family and with public figures and organizations that interest them.
Express Yourself. We enable our users to share and publish their opinions, ideas, photos, and activities to audiences ranging from their closest friends to our 900 million users, giving every user a voice within the Facebook community.
Control What You Share. Through Facebook’s privacy and sharing settings, our users can control what they share and with whom they share it.
Experience Facebook Across the Web. Through apps and websites built by developers using the Facebook Platform, our users can interact with their Facebook friends while playing games, listening to music, watching movies, reading news, and engaging in other activities.
Stay Connected with Your Friends on Mobile Devices. Through the combination of our mobile sites, smartphone apps, and feature phone products, users can bring Facebook with them on mobile devices wherever they go. Foundations of the Social Web
We believe that the web, including the mobile web, is evolving to become more social and personalized. This evolution is creating more rewarding experiences that are centered on people, their connections, and their interests. We believe that the following elements form the foundation of the social web:
Authentic Identity. We believe that using your real name, connecting to your real friends, and sharing your genuine interests online create more engaging and meaningful experiences. Representing yourself with your authentic identity online encourages you to behave with the same norms that foster trust and respect in your daily life offline.
Authentic identity is core to the Facebook experience, and we believe that it is central to the future of the web. Our terms of service require you to use your real name and we encourage you to be your true self online, enabling us and Platform developers to provide you with more personalized experiences.
Social Graph. The Social Graph represents the connections between people and their friends and interests. Every person or entity is represented by a point within the graph, and the affiliations between people and their friends and interests form billions of connections between the points. Our mapping of the Social Graph enables Facebook and Platform developers to build more engaging user experiences that are based on these connections.
Social Distribution. Over time, people are consuming and creating more kinds of information at a faster pace across a broader range of devices. The growing volume of information makes it challenging to find meaningful and trusted content and to effectively make your voice heard. Facebook organizes and prioritizes content and serves as a powerful social distribution tool delivering to users what we believe they will find most compelling based on their friends and interests.
Express what matters to them?
Richer communication between people?
Integral part of users' daily lives?
Discover and learn more about what is going on in the world around them, particularly in the lives of their friends and family and with public figures and organizations that interest them?
We enable our users to share and publish their opinions, ideas, photos, and activities to audiences ranging from their closest friends to our 900 million users, giving every user a voice within the Facebook community?
The growing volume of information makes it challenging to find meaningful and trusted content and to effectively make your voice heard. Facebook organizes and prioritizes content and serves as a powerful social distribution tool delivering to users what we believe they will find most compelling based on their friends and interests?
Censorship...whew, at least it’s not the government doing it!!!
No, it isnt. It was started with CIA money. Furthermore, Verizon is a private business, American Airlines is a private business.
Can Verizon disconnect your service because you tried to call Trump on the phone? Can American Airlines decide that they can refuse you boarding because their illicit research on you showed you to be a Trump voter?
They are a public accomodation.