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Re:What If We Made Advertising Illegal? by _Algernon_ on Sunday April 06, 2025 @06:22AM (#43600359)
Is the right to pay others for speech necessary for free speech to exist? If so it is already non-existent. No functioning democracy allows judges or politicians to sell their speech to the highest bidder for example.

Why should advertisement be different?

Re:What If We Made Advertising Illegal? by fauigerzigerk on Sunday April 06, 2025 @06:36AM (#43600419)
The difference is that advertising is extremely broad while bribing a judge or politician is extremely narrow (not to speak of conflicting with their professional remit)

It's relatively easy and sensible to ban very specific forms of paying for influence. But a ban on publishing your opinion in someone else's publication is extremely broad and obviously in violation of free speech. Free speech isn't defined as standing on a corner yelling at people.

I also think it's counterproductive. All influence seeking (both commercial and political) would be forced to move from overt advertising to covert infiltration of our communication.

I want more transparency, not less.

Re:What If We Made Advertising Illegal? by ninalanyon on Monday April 07, 2025 @04:34AM (#43609195)
> No functioning democracy allows judges or politicians to sell their speech to the highest bidder for example.

That surely depends heavily on your definition of functioning democracy.