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Trump Accuses Social Media Firms of 'Silencing Millions' (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tussle-continues dept.

U.S. President Donald Trump accused social media companies on Friday of silencing "millions of people" in an act of censorship, but without offering evidence to support the claim. From a report: "Social Media Giants are silencing millions of people. Can't do this even if it means we must continue to hear Fake News like CNN, whose ratings have suffered gravely. People have to figure out what is real, and what is not, without censorship!" Trump wrote on Twitter, not mentioning any specific companies. Trump also criticized social media outlets last week, saying without providing proof that unidentified companies were "totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices." Mr. President's Friday remarks comes days after he expressed concerns over Twitter and Facebook regulating the content on their own platforms. He found such practice "very dangerous."

9 of 570 comments (clear)

  1. He is not wrong tho by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    regardless of your opinions, he is right. of course they have the right to do so, but people are being silenced

    1. Re:He is not wrong tho by DCFusor · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Take away their safe harbor protection, since they are no longer one. If they curate, it's no longer just the comments of the participants, it's now "journalism" and things like libel apply...which would of course, shut down all the people on the "other side" from the ones they're silencing as well, and we could go back to kitty pix and meals and platitudes....in peace.

      --
      Why guess when you can know? Measure!
    2. Re:He is not wrong tho by Narcocide · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If it was actually people being silenced by the millions instead of just astroturf bots, he would have a point.

    3. Re:He is not wrong tho by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The real problem is everyone is talking but no one is listening. So to be heard they talk louder and try to be more shocking to get attention. The one who gets attention is listed to. But only the most outrageous arguments are being heard, so for those who oppose those ideas will either go as far in the other direction or just not listen causing such escalation. From Free Speech of idea sharing, to trolling.

      Free Speech has moved from long conversations of opposing ideas, to bumper sticker slogans.
      Not all ideas will have a consensus, not all view points are right. But we have fallen into such tribalism we are seeing the opposite party as these evil goblins who are out to kill our way of lives.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re: He is not wrong tho by mi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is exactly why Usenet and IRC are — and always have been — a better alternative.

      --
      In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
    5. Re: He is not wrong tho by farble1670 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, and the truth of your statements is obvious by the fact that you offer no supporting evidence and are afraid to even post under a pseudonym. You might live in a world where saying shit makes it true, but the rest of us don't.

  2. From the other side of the big pond by Epeeist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It looks as though you have someone who is completely out of control as president of your country.

  3. Hypocrite by barc0001 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Trump: People should be able to say whatever they want on private platforms that have no connection to the government.

    Also Trump: Football players should be fined and fired for daring to take a knee.

    So in one case he wants the First Amendment to apply to private companies, and in the second wants to force silence on non-govermental employees.

  4. Re: I'd propose a trade by reiterate · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I dom't watch either, but my initial searches are showing CNN to be overwhelmingly more reliable and factual than fox news, like 4:1. Can they honestly be compared? Genuinely asking, personally I trust AP articles and that's about it.