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A comment on Twitter refuses US order to disclose owner of anti-Trump account. Parent comment

Re:Twitter refuses US order to disclose owner of anti-Trump ... by alphapapa on Friday April 07, 2017 @06:52AM (#14058675)
It's troubling that anyone would downvote your comment, and clearly several people have.

Free speech requires more than merely the government allowing it; if the underlying society does not permit it to be exercised, it is effectively defeated.

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Re:Twitter refuses US order to disclose owner of anti-Trump ... by Chris2048 on Friday April 07, 2017 @07:14AM (#14058747)
> Free speech requires more than merely the government allowing it

"Free Speech" in the context of the first amendment deals specifically with the role of government.

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Re:Twitter refuses US order to disclose owner of anti-Trump ... by alphapapa on Friday April 07, 2017 @06:13PM (#14063887)
Obviously.

Equally obviously, I am referring to the bigger picture. If the government is restrained, but society ostracizes, freedom of speech is effectively useless. The law is the minimum, not the optimum.

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