Then you do not have free speech, since this is what the rules of free speech are.

They are about ensuring that the government doesnt use its unique powers of force to ensure that certain ideas are not shared or discussed.

What the current government is doing, with Fox + Twitter, is fundamentally the opposite of free speech. They have the power to say something, then pretend it is true, and act on it.

Its not a fair fight.

> Then you do not have free speech

Neither do you, unless you redefined it to be the super narrow description that you gave. So you can freely be censored but keep believing you have freedom.

You're the poster child of how europeans imagine usa citizens.

Governments can't censor what their citizens say. That's the only protection covered in the US constitution.

Private citizens and companies can censor. Twitter can have rules of conduct or terms of use, for example, and you have to play by their rules when posting on their service. The government isn't involved at all (twitter files not withstanding).

I understand how it works. I'm arguing you guys keep saying you have this "freedom of speech" when in fact you have absolutely nothing.

I guess.. it must be shocking to you? Seemingly absurd perhaps.

You can't say what you want in a shopping mall. They can decide who gets to stay in their premises, and for whatever reason they can eject you.

All the free speech cases, have been about government stopping speech. Whether its about deceny laws, or sedition - its always been the government vs a person / corporation.

So yeah - these have been the rights you lived under for all your life. Its never changed.

That is the operating definition of free speech that has worked in America since I started working in this space.

> That is the operating definition of free speech that has worked in America since I started working in this space.

It hasn't worked. But you're too set in "USA IS PERFECT!" mindset to objectively think about it.

Oh. I come from and am In a country with much stricter Free Speech laws.

I think all of them are pretty crap for today’s environment.

But yes - the operating definition of Free speech, the one enforceable in courts, the one you have lived under, is the one I outlined.

Namely - no government over reach in speech. Not that people can’t do what they want as private individuals, and now corporations.

So you can in theory, have a corporation buy up all the local news channels, and then have them share one kind of point of view. It’s perfectly free speech.

You could stream porn, and the courts would side by you for your right to free speech.

This doesn’t mean you wont get sued for piracy, or actually earn money through your project - you still need a service people want.

I’m dead serious, you can check if you like - but these are the rules you live under even right now.

And in afghanistan it's illegal for women to go to school. Since that is the law, we must accept it and make no attempt to ever change it, correct?

No one is required to help me spread my speech. The only protection is against governments censoring what their citizens say.

Don't sell me paper. Cut off my internet. That doesn't stop me from saying whatever I want, whether in public or private.

How you don't understand that the point of free speech is the ability to be heard by others, and if you're shadow-banned you're effectively just writing a private diary?

I mean, ok you have this right. What do you think was the INTENTION of this right? Do you think they intended for people to freely mumble to themselves or to tell their ideas to others?

You seem to have an incomplete understanding.

Freedom of Speech goes hand in hand with Freedom of Association. You are free to speak and spread your ideas, you are not free to compel others to help you to do so and you are not entitled to an audience.

I don’t have to let you stand on my porch to speak anymore than Instagram has to allow you to post things or Costco has to allow you to hold lectures in the food court.

If you sell paper to anyone BUT me, or let anyone who pays a fee stand on your porch and talk for 10 minutes except me, yes that should count as a felony.