Re:Twitter says it will restrict retweeting world leaders wh...
by tallanvor on Wednesday October 16, 2019 @06:40AM
(#21268930)
Freedom of speech is the government not throwing you in jail for saying things it doesn't like. What Twitter does or does not allow has nothing to do with freedom of speech.
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Re:Twitter says it will restrict retweeting world leaders wh...
by rndgermandude on Wednesday October 16, 2019 @07:04AM
(#21269066)
Always that same, tired argument. Yes, they are a private company. But also yes, private companies can be regulated.
Twitter already cannot refuse service to people based on the color of their skin.
Volkswagen did not implement a "freedom of speech, we're a private company and do as we please"-device but a cheat-device violating environmental regulations.
Utility companies have a "duty to serve" and cannot deny you service because you wrote a bad review about them on yelp.
It has long been my stance that companies whose products have major societal impact especially on the functioning of our democracies should be regulated along the lines of public utilities with a duty to serve. This duty to serve is not boundless, just like with the traditional utilities.