Amid Twitter buyout, Musk says free speech is simply "that which matches the law."
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In related Republicans-keep-proving-they-hate-free-speech-rights-they-don't-understand news:The comments/replies here are rather disingenuous in their presuppositions and due to moderated comment frequency, can’t be responded to individually. The Left would like you to think that it’s merely advocating against racism and hate speech (neither of which are clearly defined and are subject to change). But that’s a straw man argument to disguise the actual goal of the Left which is to promote its agenda unchallenged and to control the media narrative. This is why the Biden administration is scrambling to create a “disinformation board.” He’s hoping to mitigate the loss of Twitter and hoping we will somehow deem his group as independent arbiters of the truth. He’ll try to leverage this for political advantage in the lead up to the elections. The Left wants to be the sole arbiter of what is and what is not DISINFORMATION. You may still believe for example, that the Hunter Biden story is a Russian or Republican disinformation campaign but numerous fact checking and less biased news sources have proven it a legitimate story and one that should never have been banned. Likewise, political commentators like Tucker Carlson arguably do not engage in “hate speech” or “disinformation” any more than the numerous liberal commentators on more liberal networks. As a result, there is clearly no RELIABLE arbiter of what is and what is not disinformation and with increased sensitivity, there is always some percentage of the public who can interpret non-hate speech as hate speech. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has been criticized by some for "engaging in 'hate speech' toward transgender people for saying that there are two biologically distinct genders” even though upwards of 75% of the populace agrees with the statement, "[t]here are two genders, male and female." People’s views on both sides of the debate on volatile topics like gender, immigration, climate change, vaccines etc. have as much right to be heard as views on more prosaic topics such as microeconomics and international trade. It does not take a rocket surgeon to realize that a mod could easily inculcate their own political/social views when in control of shadow banning and implementing algorithmic bias. If political bias can happen at the FBI, it can certainly happen at Twitter. The potential for abuse and bias is undeniable and IF one’s goal is to make a site that is truly open to all, within the limits of law, then these issues clearly need to be addressed. Musk (thus far) simply wants to take Twitter from a platform that was shadow banning more conservative voices and censoring legitimate stories to one that allows all voices under the law. That shouldn’t be viewed as a loss for the Left unless you view it through the optics of tribal politics where the Left is losing some of it’s political influence to further its agenda on numerous economic, social, environmental and international fronts. And that is exactly what is causing all the anguish among the commenters here and more broadly across the rest of the liberal news media at large.
Wow, that's a great story.
Any moderation Twitter currently does is already allowed under the law. Even though nobody anywhere can point to examples of conservatives being banned from Twitter for advocating for smaller government and less taxes, even if Twitter did that, they are well within the law to be able to do so.
One or more of all the things that conservatives cry about Twitter doing, whether or not they are actually being done (such as banning, moderating, curating content, using algorithms, presenting the parts of the internet they want you to see, and on and on), is applicable to almost any web based platform out there - including Amazon, Netflix, Google, Facebook, Truth Social, LinkedIn, and on and on and on.
I'm still baffled by the idea that Twitter must change, because something something the law, yet every other platform can continue operating the way they do...when they all operate under the same laws, or lack of.
I'm so fucking confused by this constant nonsense.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Has A Bill To Burden Elon Musk’s Twitter With An Avalanche Of Frivolous Lawsuits
I'll admit, I really don't understand the hate boner for Section 230 either. The way I see it, if Section 230 gets repealed, every site that hosts any kind of user content will do one of 3 things -
1. Moderate and screen everything so thoroughly that only the absolute safest content makes it through, which means that almost nothing at all will get through.
SNIP]
Musk (thus far) simply wants to take Twitter from a platform that was shadow banning more conservative voices and censoring legitimate stories to one that allows all voices under the law.
[SNIP]
And, as with probably about 90% of anti-230 arguments, their complaint is really with the First Amendment.In related Republicans-keep-proving-they-hate-free-speech-rights-they-don't-understand news:The comments/replies here are rather disingenuous in their presuppositions and due to moderated comment frequency, can’t be responded to individually. The Left would like you to think that it’s merely advocating against racism and hate speech (neither of which are clearly defined and are subject to change). But that’s a straw man argument to disguise the actual goal of the Left which is to promote its agenda unchallenged and to control the media narrative. This is why the Biden administration is scrambling to create a “disinformation board.” He’s hoping to mitigate the loss of Twitter and hoping we will somehow deem his group as independent arbiters of the truth. He’ll try to leverage this for political advantage in the lead up to the elections. The Left wants to be the sole arbiter of what is and what is not DISINFORMATION. You may still believe for example, that the Hunter Biden story is a Russian or Republican disinformation campaign but numerous fact checking and less biased news sources have proven it a legitimate story and one that should never have been banned. Likewise, political commentators like Tucker Carlson arguably do not engage in “hate speech” or “disinformation” any more than the numerous liberal commentators on more liberal networks. As a result, there is clearly no RELIABLE arbiter of what is and what is not disinformation and with increased sensitivity, there is always some percentage of the public who can interpret non-hate speech as hate speech. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has been criticized by some for "engaging in 'hate speech' toward transgender people for saying that there are two biologically distinct genders” even though upwards of 75% of the populace agrees with the statement, "[t]here are two genders, male and female." People’s views on both sides of the debate on volatile topics like gender, immigration, climate change, vaccines etc. have as much right to be heard as views on more prosaic topics such as microeconomics and international trade. It does not take a rocket surgeon to realize that a mod could easily inculcate their own political/social views when in control of shadow banning and implementing algorithmic bias. If political bias can happen at the FBI, it can certainly happen at Twitter. The potential for abuse and bias is undeniable and IF one’s goal is to make a site that is truly open to all, within the limits of law, then these issues clearly need to be addressed. Musk (thus far) simply wants to take Twitter from a platform that was shadow banning more conservative voices and censoring legitimate stories to one that allows all voices under the law. That shouldn’t be viewed as a loss for the Left unless you view it through the optics of tribal politics where the Left is losing some of it’s political influence to further its agenda on numerous economic, social, environmental and international fronts. And that is exactly what is causing all the anguish among the commenters here and more broadly across the rest of the liberal news media at large.
Wow, that's a great story.
Any moderation Twitter currently does is already allowed under the law. Even though nobody anywhere can point to examples of conservatives being banned from Twitter for advocating for smaller government and less taxes, even if Twitter did that, they are well within the law to be able to do so.
One or more of all the things that conservatives cry about Twitter doing, whether or not they are actually being done (such as banning, moderating, curating content, using algorithms, presenting the parts of the internet they want you to see, and on and on), is applicable to almost any web based platform out there - including Amazon, Netflix, Google, Facebook, Truth Social, LinkedIn, and on and on and on.
I'm still baffled by the idea that Twitter must change, because something something the law, yet every other platform can continue operating the way they do...when they all operate under the same laws, or lack of.
I'm so fucking confused by this constant nonsense.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Has A Bill To Burden Elon Musk’s Twitter With An Avalanche Of Frivolous Lawsuits
I'll admit, I really don't understand the hate boner for Section 230 either. The way I see it, if Section 230 gets repealed, every site that hosts any kind of user content will do one of 3 things -
1. Moderate and screen everything so thoroughly that only the absolute safest content makes it through, which means that almost nothing at all will get through.
Oh, stuff will get through. Just not anything arguing for anything remotely controversial. Which means that the people who decide what is and is not controversial win.
AKA: conservatives.
They hate Section 230 because most platforms don't want to become a conservative echochamber.
Oh, stuff will get through. Just not anything arguing for anything remotely controversial. Which means that the people who decide what is and is not controversial win.
AKA: conservatives.
They hate Section 230 because most platforms don't want to become a conservative echochamber.
In related Republicans-keep-proving-they-hate-free-speech-rights-they-don't-understand news:The comments/replies here are rather disingenuous in their presuppositions and due to moderated comment frequency, can’t be responded to individually. The Left would like you to think that it’s merely advocating against racism and hate speech (neither of which are clearly defined and are subject to change). But that’s a straw man argument to disguise the actual goal of the Left which is to promote its agenda unchallenged and to control the media narrative. This is why the Biden administration is scrambling to create a “disinformation board.” He’s hoping to mitigate the loss of Twitter and hoping we will somehow deem his group as independent arbiters of the truth. He’ll try to leverage this for political advantage in the lead up to the elections. The Left wants to be the sole arbiter of what is and what is not DISINFORMATION. You may still believe for example, that the Hunter Biden story is a Russian or Republican disinformation campaign but numerous fact checking and less biased news sources have proven it a legitimate story and one that should never have been banned. Likewise, political commentators like Tucker Carlson arguably do not engage in “hate speech” or “disinformation” any more than the numerous liberal commentators on more liberal networks. As a result, there is clearly no RELIABLE arbiter of what is and what is not disinformation and with increased sensitivity, there is always some percentage of the public who can interpret non-hate speech as hate speech. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has been criticized by some for "engaging in 'hate speech' toward transgender people for saying that there are two biologically distinct genders” even though upwards of 75% of the populace agrees with the statement, "[t]here are two genders, male and female." People’s views on both sides of the debate on volatile topics like gender, immigration, climate change, vaccines etc. have as much right to be heard as views on more prosaic topics such as microeconomics and international trade. It does not take a rocket surgeon to realize that a mod could easily inculcate their own political/social views when in control of shadow banning and implementing algorithmic bias. If political bias can happen at the FBI, it can certainly happen at Twitter. The potential for abuse and bias is undeniable and IF one’s goal is to make a site that is truly open to all, within the limits of law, then these issues clearly need to be addressed. Musk (thus far) simply wants to take Twitter from a platform that was shadow banning more conservative voices and censoring legitimate stories to one that allows all voices under the law. That shouldn’t be viewed as a loss for the Left unless you view it through the optics of tribal politics where the Left is losing some of it’s political influence to further its agenda on numerous economic, social, environmental and international fronts. And that is exactly what is causing all the anguish among the commenters here and more broadly across the rest of the liberal news media at large.
Wow, that's a great story.
Any moderation Twitter currently does is already allowed under the law. Even though nobody anywhere can point to examples of conservatives being banned from Twitter for advocating for smaller government and less taxes, even if Twitter did that, they are well within the law to be able to do so.
One or more of all the things that conservatives cry about Twitter doing, whether or not they are actually being done (such as banning, moderating, curating content, using algorithms, presenting the parts of the internet they want you to see, and on and on), is applicable to almost any web based platform out there - including Amazon, Netflix, Google, Facebook, Truth Social, LinkedIn, and on and on and on.
I'm still baffled by the idea that Twitter must change, because something something the law, yet every other platform can continue operating the way they do...when they all operate under the same laws, or lack of.
I'm so fucking confused by this constant nonsense.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Has A Bill To Burden Elon Musk’s Twitter With An Avalanche Of Frivolous Lawsuits
I'll admit, I really don't understand the hate boner for Section 230 either. The way I see it, if Section 230 gets repealed, every site that hosts any kind of user content will do one of 3 things -
1. Moderate and screen everything so thoroughly that only the absolute safest content makes it through, which means that almost nothing at all will get through.
2. Moderate absolutely nothing whatsoever, ever. Every platform that chooses this option eventually pretty much becomes 8chan (or whatever chan, I don't keep up).
3. Stop hosting user content altogether. No comments, posts, message boards, etc.
I really don't see any of those as a great outcome, to be honest. And I don't think those who are trying to repeal 230 would be particularly happy with any of those results. I'd actually expect most non social-media sites, whose entire model doesn't directly depend on user content, to opt for #3.
Oh, stuff will get through. Just not anything arguing for anything remotely controversial. Which means that the people who decide what is and is not controversial win.
AKA: conservatives.
They hate Section 230 because most platforms don't want to become a conservative echochamber.
That doesn't add up. The Right wing is complaining because they can't control social media, so they aren't the ones that decide what is controversial.
It's the right wing that wants to post all the controversial stuff: Vaccine misinformation, Stolen election Misinformation, Anti-LGBT+ screed, Hunter's Laptop, etc...
Repeal 230, and social media block that stuff, even more strongly to protect themselves.
Most of them hate 230, because they are imbeciles, and they think Section 230 enables moderation, when in reality, repealing 230 makes moderation an existential demand, because sites then become potentially liable for anything users post.
A smaller amount of 230 haters, do understand that 230 repeal would force tougher moderation and they are only using repeal as a threat, because it would be almost ruinous trying to host content without section 230. IOW: "Post our speech or we will do this harmful thing to you". Not that 230 will give them compelled speech, but if they can't compel speech from social media, it's just a way to inflict harm.
I'm an uncultured swine who doesn't know what half of what you just posted would taste like... But it sounds infinitely better than given more attention to Elon.So, for dinner tonight I'm thinking about a potato-leek soup--think vichyssoise, but warm--with a chive-oil drizzle, and maybe some grilled ham and cheese sammies alongside. The soup would be made with a duck stock I spent two days simmering.
Or, we could keep debating whether Elon Musk is worth the airtime.
I'm an uncultured swine who doesn't know what half of what you just posted would taste like... But it sounds infinitely better than given more attention to Elon.So, for dinner tonight I'm thinking about a potato-leek soup--think vichyssoise, but warm--with a chive-oil drizzle, and maybe some grilled ham and cheese sammies alongside. The soup would be made with a duck stock I spent two days simmering.
Or, we could keep debating whether Elon Musk is worth the airtime.
No one likes a wobbly stool. I applaud your dogs carpentry skills.My dog's stools, after several days of probiotics, are more solid, also.
The comments/replies here are rather disingenuous in their presuppositions and due to moderated comment frequency, can’t be responded to individually.
Wow, that's a great story.
You don't respond individually because you're a coward and can't effectively defend anything in a conversation. It's why you post your little manifestos in a huge block of uninterrupted text
Holy shit! You learned where the enter key is!
[SNIP]
The naivety displayed by many on here vis-à-vis the ability for companies to shadow ban [. . .]
[SNIP]
Holy shit! You learned where the enter key is!
Still unreadable, though. And has the random capitalization of a nutjob.

I'm an uncultured swine who doesn't know what half of what you just posted would taste like... But it sounds infinitely better than given more attention to Elon.So, for dinner tonight I'm thinking about a potato-leek soup--think vichyssoise, but warm--with a chive-oil drizzle, and maybe some grilled ham and cheese sammies alongside. The soup would be made with a duck stock I spent two days simmering.
Or, we could keep debating whether Elon Musk is worth the airtime.
Claiming, “companies don’t shadow ban or engage in algorithmic bias but if they do, they’re within their rights to do so” loses you the argument. Companies ARE absolutely free to do it AND they do AND Musk can buy Twitter and CHANGE it so they don’t do it. Twitter under Musk will exercise it’s right to continue to curate (albeit far more transparently and less limiting) as it sees fit and now the Left is incensed over that. The hypocrisy is sweet.
So, for dinner tonight I'm thinking about a potato-leek soup--think vichyssoise
You love them so much you decided to be the primary source of both.Gotta love the gaslighting and petty insults on this board.
Hey Portlandia, there are already sites that cater to your "anything goes" free speech no-moderation policy. Why aren't you on 8-kun, or using Parler or Gab or so on and so forth?
Nobody said you're entitlted to a Twitter account.
Gotta love the gaslighting and petty insults on this board. Apparently many here don’t even understand Ars’ engagement protocols let alone Twitter’s. New users who are not subscribers are limited in comment frequency and can’t post multiple comments per day on these boards. The naivety displayed by many on here vis-à-vis the ability for companies to shadow ban, engage in algorithmic bias and generally limit engagement of particular users/groups is exemplified by the fact that many commenters here don’t even understand how the Ars’ comment board works. Of course private companies are absolutely free to engage in practices that limit engagement but there are consequences as we’ve now seen play out with Twitter. Ars also isn’t regarded as a defacto “town square” and with much less visibility and representation is (arguably) non-problematic in any of its engagement practices (spam related or otherwise).
I’m FAR from being transphobic, I have multiple gay friends whose friendship I cherish and I would feel similarly fond of a trans friend if our paths were to cross. Isn’t it obvious to you that labeling people as bigots who are not in fact bigots can easily be misused just as accusations of racism are thrown about in order to silence dissent. And that determining whether someone is a bigot is often a subjective process that is subject to the whims of the most (increasingly) sensitive individuals or networks (see CNN defamation lawsuit, Jussie Smollett et al.) in the face of groups/individuals who they dislike.
I’m simply claiming that NO ONE is reliable enough to be the sole arbiter of acceptable ideas as the definition of such is subjective. As a result, the least unfair solution is to allow the constitution to be the ultimate arbiter. The fact that companies can legally engage in shadow banning and curate their content as they see fit is absolutely true but obviously has ramifications on who can be involved and precisely the reason Musk has taken on Twitter (and why so many on the Left are upset). I work in tech and know for a fact that content and engagement is curated and limited. Claiming, “companies don’t shadow ban or engage in algorithmic bias but if they do, they’re within their rights to do so” loses you the argument. Companies ARE absolutely free to do it AND they do AND Musk can buy Twitter and CHANGE it so they don’t do it. Twitter under Musk will exercise it’s right to continue to curate (albeit far more transparently and less limiting) as it sees fit and now the Left is incensed over that. The hypocrisy is sweet.
Also, I was kind and made some paragraph breaks, so we can all love each other once more.
I’m simply claiming that NO ONE is reliable enough to be the sole arbiter of acceptable ideas as the definition of such is subjective. As a result, the least unfair solution is to allow the constitution to be the ultimate arbiter. The fact that companies can legally engage in shadow banning and curate their content as they see fit is absolutely true but obviously has ramifications on who can be involved and precisely the reason Musk has taken on Twitter (and why so many on the Left are upset).

Gotta love the gaslighting and petty insults on this board. Apparently many here don’t even understand Ars’ engagement protocols let alone Twitter’s. New users who are not subscribers are limited in comment frequency and can’t post multiple comments per day on these boards. The naivety displayed by many on here vis-à-vis the ability for companies to shadow ban, engage in algorithmic bias and generally limit engagement of particular users/groups is exemplified by the fact that many commenters here don’t even understand how the Ars’ comment board works. Of course private companies are absolutely free to engage in practices that limit engagement but there are consequences as we’ve now seen play out with Twitter. Ars also isn’t regarded as a defacto “town square” and with much less visibility and representation is (arguably) non-problematic in any of its engagement practices (spam related or otherwise).
I’m FAR from being transphobic, I have multiple gay friends whose friendship I cherish and I would feel similarly fond of a trans friend if our paths were to cross. Isn’t it obvious to you that labeling people as bigots who are not in fact bigots can easily be misused just as accusations of racism are thrown about in order to silence dissent. And that determining whether someone is a bigot is often a subjective process that is subject to the whims of the most (increasingly) sensitive individuals or networks (see CNN defamation lawsuit, Jussie Smollett et al.) in the face of groups/individuals who they dislike.
I’m simply claiming that NO ONE is reliable enough to be the sole arbiter of acceptable ideas as the definition of such is subjective. As a result, the least unfair solution is to allow the constitution to be the ultimate arbiter. The fact that companies can legally engage in shadow banning and curate their content as they see fit is absolutely true but obviously has ramifications on who can be involved and precisely the reason Musk has taken on Twitter (and why so many on the Left are upset). I work in tech and know for a fact that content and engagement is curated and limited. Claiming, “companies don’t shadow ban or engage in algorithmic bias but if they do, they’re within their rights to do so” loses you the argument. Companies ARE absolutely free to do it AND they do AND Musk can buy Twitter and CHANGE it so they don’t do it. Twitter under Musk will exercise it’s right to continue to curate (albeit far more transparently and less limiting) as it sees fit and now the Left is incensed over that. The hypocrisy is sweet.
Also, I was kind and made some paragraph breaks, so we can all love each other once more.
I’m simply claiming that NO ONE is reliable enough to be the sole arbiter of acceptable ideas as the definition of such is subjective. As a result, the least unfair solution is to allow the constitution to be the ultimate arbiter. The fact that companies can legally engage in shadow banning and curate their content as they see fit is absolutely true but obviously has ramifications on who can be involved and precisely the reason Musk has taken on Twitter (and why so many on the Left are upset).
I'm sorry, what?
The ramifications of Twitter deciding who can be involved ONLY APPLY TO TWITTER. They can only decide who can be involved on THEIR platform. Period. The end.
Yes, I'm type-shouting at you, because I just can't figure out where you fucking people keep getting this crazy ass idea that Twitter is apparently the only place that anything can be discussed. It's fucking insane, and I really wish it would stop.
So, for dinner tonight I'm thinking about a potato-leek soup--think vichyssoise
That's sauce made from Frenchmen, right?
Oh! I've seen that happen to people! Those shadows don't fuck around when they ban you.Don't you guys get it? If you're shadow-banned on Twitter, you're shadow-banned in real life!![]()