@Peter Perry/@iaincartwright I don't think this really has anything to do with right or wrong, or freedom of speech for that matter. It's not like facebook enacted a law that limits your freedom of speech... It's their website, all they did was finally cut content that didn't fit their terms of service, which they have full right to do. They also had full right to leave it up, and change their terms of service instead (or not, and just continue to host a site with conflicting information).
The only reason they made this change was due to public pressure...simple economics.
When consumer complaints from healtlh nuts lead to McDonalds or some other company takes trans fats out of it's food because people complain, is that akin to violating your right to eat trans fats? No, you simply have to get them somewhere else now. People can argue all day over whether rape humor, trans fats, or whatever else are good or bad, or whether they have a place in our society, but it doesn't matter...none of the fundamental rules have changed.
1) our constitution still protects free speech
2) private companies still have the ability to offer products/sevices according to their own terms of service.
none of that has been violated here. Nor would it have been if the content stayed up.
Discussion on:
Message 15 of 1
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