Major platforms profit from “engagement”: clicks, pageviews, etc. This is driven by anything controversial, especially fake garbage and lies, which is why it’s become so prevalent with little to no effort to stop it. Without laws to force companies to control the flood of very profitable, fake garbage to enrage people, it will only get worse.
I generally agree with your sentiment, but forced moderation is also not the answer. The whole premise of the internet is that companies provide means to share content and it’s up to the people to follow rules. Forced moderation is just going to stop free speech as in people speaking out against oppression because the next platform wants to get money from the oppressive regime.
freedoms like freedom of speech come with responsibility, and when a person (or group) act irresponsibly, they lose their rights in part or whole as punishment. to suggest that the solution to people acting irresponsibly with their rights is to simply give up and give in to anarchy is not only preposterous, it surrenders civilized society to the bad actors, essentially condoning their behavior through inaction.
as for those who speak out against oppression? they’re effectively silenced by the food of bad actors and disinformation who would also claim “oppression” in any attempt to hold them accountable, as they do now-- a classic fascist propaganda tactic.
The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant. Karl Popper described it as the seemingly self-contradictory idea that in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must retain the right to be intolerant of intolerance.
Major platforms profit from “engagement”: clicks, pageviews, etc. This is driven by anything controversial, especially fake garbage and lies, which is why it’s become so prevalent with little to no effort to stop it. Without laws to force companies to control the flood of very profitable, fake garbage to enrage people, it will only get worse.
I generally agree with your sentiment, but forced moderation is also not the answer. The whole premise of the internet is that companies provide means to share content and it’s up to the people to follow rules. Forced moderation is just going to stop free speech as in people speaking out against oppression because the next platform wants to get money from the oppressive regime.
freedoms like freedom of speech come with responsibility, and when a person (or group) act irresponsibly, they lose their rights in part or whole as punishment. to suggest that the solution to people acting irresponsibly with their rights is to simply give up and give in to anarchy is not only preposterous, it surrenders civilized society to the bad actors, essentially condoning their behavior through inaction.
as for those who speak out against oppression? they’re effectively silenced by the food of bad actors and disinformation who would also claim “oppression” in any attempt to hold them accountable, as they do now-- a classic fascist propaganda tactic.
Paradox of tolerance
The Alt-Right Playbook: You Go High, We Go Low
@BrooklynMan @Hexorg beautiful post!