Re:Elon Musk makes $43B unsolicited bid to take Twitter private
by throwaway4aday on Thursday April 14, 2022 @11:01AM
(#31027861)
I think you're wrong. The "increasing potential damaging effects" are only damaging to the current regime. The internet is just the latest iteration in a long succession of things that challenge the power of the elite and we're experiencing exactly the same blowback and propaganda that gets trotted out every time this happens. Even the whole "fake news" rhetoric isn't new but hundreds of years old. People with privileged positions, power and money are scrambling to widen their moats and shore up their positions against the rabble as they once again wrench the wool from their eyes.
https://www.history.com/news/coffee-houses-revolutions
https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/Printed-illustra...
I think many understand the consequences of highly restricted speech and how much benefit free speech has, including how censorship and tight control on speech has lead to undesirable government regimes historically. What people are really doing is reevaluating the costs side in the new environment where there's no longer a town square, information has the potential to spread to masses quickly, information is more difficult to separate from noise, and those with harmful intent can speak with more anonymity.
I'm a huge fan of free speech but the increasing potential damaging effects can't be completepy ignored. It's better if we can defend against such issues, in my opinion, and protect free speech, not ignore them and go on as is.