These are uncharted waters. I’d be wary of mistaking such hypotheses for absolute truths.
When mass journalism arrived we had yellow journalism. Journalistic standards arose, people chose their papers, and while it wasn’t a monotonic rise to goodness, what followed was better than what was.
I don’t know what the Internet will look like in a few years. But I’m fairly confident it won’t be laissez faire.
I'm fairly confident it won't be laissez faire in the future either. That's coz there's a consolidation of media platforms and a wave of populist authoritarianism sweeping the world, not coz censorship ever fixed anything.
A. Let's not mince words, it hasn't done the US any favours.
B. The world is bigger than just the US, so I would say that while you may think it's not uncharted it is definitely not solved (and can therefore be called uncharted enough).
It’s done phenomenal favors for centuries. Aside from freedom of speech being very effective for growth in ideas and innovation, it’s prevented National religions, limited press interference, limited censorship.
It’s odd to even hear the idea that it’s a bad thing.
And strikingly illiberal, although both liberals and libertarians tend to agree on most matters of free speech.
For decades, liberals have fought for more freedom of speech, even in grotesque situations[0], and now we throw it all away, because we're suddenly winning?
0. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-em-defends-kkks-rig...
The platforms will make a valiant effort to solve the problem in the way which is most politically expeditious for them. Not in a way that solves the problem.
The effects of this frankly terrifies me. Way more than Russian psyops campaigns running mommyblogger tweets.
"First, do no harm" doesnt just apply to doctors.