From: Jonah Dement
Columbus
Social media censorship is a grave threat our democracy.
As many social media platforms have banned InfoWars and other conservative accounts, a debate rages about the morality and magnitude of these actions, as well as their legality. Many say that the companies are private entities, acting well within their rights, and as the law stands they are correct. However, should this be the case?
Social media companies, being privately owned businesses, can establish their own terms of use and enforce them as they see fit. The problem arises when they wield the massive platform they’ve created to push or silence a certain narrative. Many people rely solely on social media for their news, whether it be from Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, etc.. All of these outlets have displayed a tangible bias against conservative viewpoints. Reddit “curates” their front page content, showing favor towards liberal articles. Twitter allegedly “shadowbans” conservative accounts. Facebook filters their news, and is now banning conservative accounts.
These actions bear an Orwellian future of policed thought. While this may sound like a sensationalized, fear-mongering statement, think about the implications. If many people have no other news source than internet sources, which constantly push a liberal narrative, that will probably be the one they take for themselves. For example, if all news sources are bashing a leader, you’ll probably think there’s a good reason. Thus, “If everyone hates the president, he must be terrible, and it must’ve been the Russians who elected him!”
I believe there should be antitrust laws enacted to deal with this issue. These companies wield such an informational, or misinformational, power against our democracy, they shouldn’t be able to decide what truth they want people to see.
If you don’t see the other side, you won’t be able to make informed decisions on any topic. I advise anyone reading this to do all of their own research; form your own opinions on facts, rather than someone else’s points.
