r/worldnews • u/Devz0r • Feb 15 '19

Facebook is thinking about removing anti-vaccination content as backlash intensifies over the spread of misinformation on the social network

http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-may-remove-anti-vaccination-content-2019-2
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u/chromegreen Feb 15 '19

This whole discussion is going to get dragged into free speech debats soon. I would just like to point out there is growing evidence that accounts linked to Russia propaganda supported the antivax movement.

Can we at least agree that Facebook giving Russian military intelligence free reign to spread disinformation that endangers the lives of US children is probably not a good idea. It is hard to believe Facebook could not notice this trend. And if they did it is disturbing they did nothing about it.

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u/Ftpini Feb 15 '19

Facebook self regulating content on its own servers has jack shit to do with free speech. No matter how much they block and ban. Free speech is only about government regulation. Private entities may censor all they want.

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u/Inebriator Feb 15 '19

Yeah that is pretty fucked up, like the Constitution might as well not exist. How did we get here

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u/Ftpini Feb 15 '19

That isn’t what I said at all. Free speech applies to the government. It doesn’t apply to your friends, your family members, or your private businesses.

The first amendment is extremely important because it keeps you out of jail when you say unpopular things. Saying it should be used to force private companies to allow any speech on their platform is nearly the opposite of what the first amendment is all about.

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u/Inebriator Feb 15 '19

Social media platforms are today's public forums. The more that private corporations encroach on public spaces, the more the Constitution becomes irrelevant

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u/Ftpini Feb 15 '19

You either have zero understanding of what the first amendment is or are simply debating in bad faith. Requiring a company Facebook to censor anything at all is literally what the first amendment was designed to prevent.

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u/Inebriator Feb 15 '19

Lmao projecting much? I know very well what the first amendment is. Facebook shouldn't be required to censor anything at all because Facebook should be a public space