The title is overwrought; Silicon Valley hasn’t banned freedom of speech. But they shouldn’t be shielded under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 as open-to-all platforms rather than point-of-view-pushing publishers. They’re definitely pushing their point of view. From Robert Bridge at strategic-culture.org:
Somewhere along the road of America’s development, corporations were blessed with not only ‘personhood,’ but with the power to sanction what sort of messages were permissible to enter the public realm. Let’s be clear: This sort of corporate control, which borders on pure fascism, has no place in a democracy.
There is no need to ask. There is no need to be polite. There is no need to debate. It is only necessary to point to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution for this fundamental human right, inscribed into law over 200 years ago, to be returned to the American people.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
So how did it come to be that such a straightforward and unambiguous command has become so unattainable in reality?
