Re:The Truth Is Paywalled but the Lies Are Free
by Dotnaught on Sunday August 16, 2020 @12:39PM
(#24179165)
>Whether lies should be more expensive or not, lies cannot be made expensive.
But they can. Defamation laws make false claims expensive. Accounts can be revoked. Costs can be imposed if society has the will to do so.
Whether lies should be more expensive or not, lies cannot be made expensive. Even in a totalitarian state, false rumors spread easily. The cost of production of lies is close to zero, the cost of distribution of lies also close to zero.
It's like all of HN is eager to apply an argument that makes sense for cheap, knock-off auto parts ("Cheap is too expensive", etc) to decent public journalism. It doesn't work.