Free speech online has officially hit a new low...

[xephier102]

Facebook has gotten out of hand with it's biased censorship. It even has certain words blacklisted so that if you even use them in a sentence, it gives you a warning. I just happened to use one of those words twice within a week, and had my privileges for leaving comments on FB posts revoked for 24 hrs..
Not just words, but any statements they don't agree with, get the flag as well.. So much for free speech on the world's largest social media platform..

I got two more flags within the last day, and now they've blocked my acnt from commenting on posts for three days.. So much for having an original thought that doesn't agree with the mainstream. Free speech is officially dead..

And worse yet, these pricks don't want you to contact them to refute anything.. Only their opinions matter in our lives.. **** Facebook.. Corporate scumbags..

Side note, I thank someone for these forums. This is probably one of the only places left on the net where I can still speak my mind without being outright censored or banned (and if other places exist, I don't currently know of them..).

I mean, seriously, are people really that offended, or threatened by words from strangers on the internet? I mean, if someone's sending you emails like "I'm going to come to your house and kill you", That's one thing, and should be taken very seriously. But if you simply voice words, statements, or phrases that someone disagrees with, well, they should suck it up and get over it.. The internet is for everyone, not just the precious snowflakes..

 

[JJW]

Free speech is officially dead..

You realize only the US government is obligated to abide by the First Amendment. Private companies have no obligation and are free to censor anyone at their whims.

 

[xephier102]

You realize only the US government is obligated to abide by the First Amendment. Private companies have no obligation and are free to censor anyone at their whims.

I'm fairly sure everyone knows that. But as I just pointed out in another post; somewhere around 70-95% of communication in the modern day is done online, so when free speech is taken away online, what good is this so-called 'right'. Having FB police statements made on social media, is the online equivalent of having the manager at McDonalds kick you out because he doesn't like your opinion on a subject that you're talking about with your friends. What good is 'free speech' in general if it cannot be had in public places because corporations own everything..

I mean.. Shouldn't it be seen as a bad thing, when corporations are allowed to step all over fundamental laws that were put in place over 100 years ago to protect our rights as human beings? It's bad enough that the management at fast food restaurants are allowed to treat the people under them like complete garbage (so long as they don't get violent), despite the fact that these people are earning the lowest legally allowable wage..

 

[Efbee]

Facebook has gotten out of hand with it's biased censorship. It even has certain words blacklisted so that if you even use them in a sentence, it gives you a warning. I just happened to use one of those words twice within a week, and had my privileges for leaving comments on FB posts revoked for 24 hrs..
Not just words, but any statements they don't agree with, get the flag as well.. So much for free speech on the world's largest social media platform..

I got two more flags within the last day, and now they've blocked my acnt from commenting on posts for three days.. So much for having an original thought that doesn't agree with the mainstream. Free speech is officially dead..

And worse yet, these pricks don't want you to contact them to refute anything.. Only their opinions matter in our lives.. **** Facebook.. Corporate scumbags..

Side note, I thank someone for these forums. This is probably one of the only places left on the net where I can still speak my mind without being outright censored or banned (and if other places exist, I don't currently know of them..).

I mean, seriously, are people really that offended, or threatened by words from strangers on the internet? I mean, if someone's sending you emails like "I'm going to come to your house and kill you", That's one thing, and should be taken very seriously. But if you simply voice words, statements, or phrases that someone disagrees with, well, they should suck it up and get over it.. The internet is for everyone, not just the precious snowflakes..

I only use FB for Messenger and nothing is censored on Messenger.
I barely ever go on FB page and only to check what my kids have posted. I don't "communicate" through Facebook and certainly don't use it like a forum.
OH and FYI: censorship has been around for at least 30 years, where have you been?

 

[xephier102]

censorship has been around for at least 30 years

Not including situational events, what are you referring to here? Not that I don't believe you, but just for context.

I only use FB for Messenger and nothing is censored on Messenger.

For now.. if you really have been paying attention over the decades, you'd realize that so many of the changes made by companies and the gov (to screw us), are done gradually over time; so as not to shock us into taking action.

Like with the foods we buy; when they start lowering portions, altering recipes, charging more, putting garbage components into foods..

like now I can't even buy a frozen Hawaiian pizza without picking pieces of fat/grizzle outta my mouth while I'm eating it.. or michelena's frozen lasagna alfredo; it used to be great, but now I've gotta watch while I'm eating it since half the broccoli in it is tough as hell.. The edges around the stem are like chewing on damp wood, almost splintery..

All in all, corporations have been really shitting on our quality of life.. It goes way beyond food, and censorship, right through electronics, cars, computer software .etc. And badgering us with endless ads..

Honestly; I don't even understand why panhadling is illegal anymore.. at least the homeless don't follow you home to harass you.. and some of them actually need the money..

 

[xephier102]

and certainly don't use it like a forum.

This is one of the last forums that you actually can use like a forum.. any other ones left are nearly as bad, or worse than FB for censorship..

 

[Memyself]

Freedom of speech

Facebook has gotten out of hand with it's biased censorship. It even has certain words blacklisted so that if you even use them in a sentence, it gives you a warning. I just happened to use one of those words twice within a week, and had my privileges for leaving comments on FB posts revoked for 24 hrs..
Not just words, but any statements they don't agree with, get the flag as well.. So much for free speech on the world's largest social media platform..

I got two more flags within the last day, and now they've blocked my acnt from commenting on posts for three days.. So much for having an original thought that doesn't agree with the mainstream. Free speech is officially dead..

And worse yet, these pricks don't want you to contact them to refute anything.. Only their opinions matter in our lives.. **** Facebook.. Corporate scumbags..

Side note, I thank someone for these forums. This is probably one of the only places left on the net where I can still speak my mind without being outright censored or banned (and if other places exist, I don't currently know of them..).

I mean, seriously, are people really that offended, or threatened by words from strangers on the internet? I mean, if someone's sending you emails like "I'm going to come to your house and kill you", That's one thing, and should be taken very seriously. But if you simply voice words, statements, or phrases that someone disagrees with, well, they should suck it up and get over it.. The internet is for everyone, not just the precious snowflakes..

freedom of speech is hard to define and fundamentally misunderstood by people who think they can say what they want, anytime and anyplace they want without consequences. Not having internal or external filters would create chaos, after all we call ourselves civilized society. Could you claim your rights being violated by your parents who wouldn’t allow you to speak certain way? Would you be thrown out of an establishment if you speech was upsetting to the rest? Having been suspended from Twitter for truly minor offenses, I understand you. But rules of the game are rules of the game, we agreed to TOS. Unfortunately AI is policing offenses, and certain words will get you jailed.

 

[non_entity]

All these "private companies" that own social media are all owned by the same little web of agenda-peddling oligarchs.

I don't think many people understand what's at stake when censorship becomes the "new normal". It's not just being barred from saying supposedly "bad, offensive" things. It's being barred from having any dissenting opinion at all.

Literally if you aren't apart of the hive-mind, the groupthink, then you are virtually snuffed out.

Read Orwell's 1984.

 

[funnylife33]

Damn , All i know is that ,
That old Orkut and Yahoo messenger was 10 times better than Facebook

 

[Memyself]

Is there delete post option?

 

[Memyself]

All these "private companies" that own social media are all owned by the same little web of agenda-peddling oligarchs.

I don't think many people understand what's at stake when censorship becomes the "new normal". It's not just being barred from saying supposedly "bad, offensive" things. It's being barred from having any dissenting opinion at all.

Literally if you aren't apart of the hive-mind, the groupthink, then you are virtually snuffed out.

Read Orwell's 1984.

I read the book. Your choice of words tells me a lot about you. When you reject “group think” you belong to the group think who reject the group think. We are all afraid of slippery slope, but it’s on all of us not to allow it to happen. I know some that goes on is ridiculous, even maddening but you can’t tell me that you accept free speech of others without judging, because you just called it group think.

 

[funnylife33]

https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/19/22735612/facebook-change-company-name-metaverse

Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name

 

[Memyself]

https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/19/22735612/facebook-change-company-name-metaverse

Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name

I got rid of FB and Instagram out of principle. Nothing will bring me back to make money for Zuck.

 

[non_entity]

I read the book. Your choice of words tells me a lot about you. When you reject “group think” you belong to the group think who reject the group think. We are all afraid of slippery slope, but it’s on all of us not to allow it to happen. I know some that goes on is ridiculous, even maddening but you can’t tell me that you accept free speech of others without judging, because you just called it group think.

My personal, internal judgment of someone else's opinions doesn't matter. I'm not sitting here petitioning for them to be silenced just because I happen to disagree with their opinions. That's my point.

 

[Memyself]

Some opinions are harmful and affect the way one performs a job. Do I want a teacher who believes earth is flat or a cop who believes non whites are less than human? There is definitely a lot of overreach due to social media mobs. Don’t forget that religion is the original and biggest cancel culture force in the world. So nothing new, just more in your face.

 

[TheSkaFish]

I guess it's best to use Face Space just for your personal life, and lighthearted, fun things.

I don't debate people on Facebook anymore, and I barely talk about anything political/social/etc.

For one, it upsets me, ruins my mood. Life does a good enough job ruining my mood as it is, without me going out of my way to put more mood-ruining stuff in my head.

And for two, I'm aware that Facebook is for making an impression - I don't want to look weak, boring, negative, unfun, etc.

 

[Memyself]

I appreciate our back and forth. What rubs me the wrong way is accusation of cancel culture we are all guilty of. Even avoiding in itself is silent canceling, we just know there are opposing views that would make us feel bad or a minority. Fight or flight

 

[funnylife33]

I have a Facebook account and i have used the lock function to lock it .
So only my close friends in my friends list can see the content in it .

In olden times it was hard to have a feeling of privacy .

Now its there .

If people don't like certain content , they have the option to block it and report it .

But i do not like the automated blocks and all . Its lame

 

[xephier102]

Freedom of speech

freedom of speech is hard to define and fundamentally misunderstood by people who think they can say what they want, anytime and anyplace they want without consequences. Not having internal or external filters would create chaos, after all we call ourselves civilized society. Could you claim your rights being violated by your parents who wouldn’t allow you to speak certain way? Would you be thrown out of an establishment if you speech was upsetting to the rest? Having been suspended from Twitter for truly minor offenses, I understand you. But rules of the game are rules of the game, we agreed to TOS. Unfortunately AI is policing offenses, and certain words will get you jailed.

For one, **** TOS.. that means **** all since they force you to 'agree' to it before you can use the service.. The entire legal system is bent so far backward to help the wealthy, that it's got its head all the way up its own ass..

You can't compare the government to parenting. Parents are (typically) human beings with hearts, that care about their kids. The gov cares only about money and votes, and corporations are even colder and only care about money, they don't even need the people to like them. There's drug lords out there that care more about the people than corporations do..

And no, there's nothing hard to define about freedom of speech. Obviously if someone barges into a crowded food court and starts shouting the N word and other racial obscenities, they should be removed. Just like that Squidge guy got removed from here for being a womanizing hate monger. But there's a difference between words and intent.

One can use the same basic set of words in a different order, to completely change the context and emotion/intent behind them. So when an entire word or statement is blacklisted, it doesn't just remove those that use them with hate, but as well, removes that entire subject from being able to be discussed.

Freedom of speech is nothing to be toyed with.. When the things we say, regardless of the tone, start getting policed, then were on the start of the path to becoming like Nazi germany.

Obviously no one is going to allow mass genocide in this day and age, but there was a lot more to Nazi germany than the death camps. If you even spoke out of turn about Hitler, you'd likely get arrested.. but with such censorship, that's the direction we're headed in.

But they'll do it just slow enough so most people won't notice. Just like they have with so many other things (like the gradual disappearance of most forums from the internet; pin-holeing most online communication to corporate-run social media).

When they can control most of what is discussed, they can effectively control popular opinion.. tbh.. we've given them too much control, and that will be our downfall.

 

[Adamridge79]

Um...wow