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Call For Tech Giants To Face Taxes Over Extremist Content (bbc.com)
Internet companies should face a tax punishment for failing to deal with the threat of terrorism in the UK, security minister Ben Wallace has said. From a report: Mr Wallace said firms such as Facebook, Google and YouTube were too slow to remove radical content online, forcing the government to act instead. While tech firms were "ruthless profiteers," governments were spending millions policing the web, he added. Facebook said Mr Wallace was wrong to say it put profits before safety. YouTube said violent extremism was a "complex problem" and addressing it was a "critical challenge for us all." In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Wallace said tech giants were failing to help prevent the radicalisation of people online. "Because content is not taken down as quickly as they could do," he claimed, "we're having to de-radicalise people who have been radicalised. That's costing millions."
Imagine if Wallace had called for a special tax on newspapers and television stations for failing to "deal with" the threat of terrorism in the UK. That said, the bizarre paid story approach that Facebook uses should be outlawed.
No. Suppressing speech is not fine. However forcing broadcasters and content providers to carry speech from "opposing viewpoints" to provide some sort of equality is also wrong. It violates the N.A.P.
An excellent question. I would start by reminding you that the U.S. was formed as a Republic and not as a Democracy. The Bill of Rights was intended to protect the minority from the depredations of the majority. However the BOR is being ignored more and more by the government and its minions.
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.