Why Big Tech and Conservatives Are Clashing on Free Speech
3 years, 11 months ago

Why Big Tech and Conservatives Are Clashing on Free Speech

Bloomberg  

When Twitter banned President Donald Trump after a mob he had encouraged stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the White House fell into an unusual social media silence. But the company’s move, followed by actions by Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon to cut off individual users or social media platforms they saw as inciting violence, turned a long-simmering feud with conservatives into a full-throated battle. Trump supporters complained their free speech rights were being curtailed, but many liberals applauded what they saw as overdue steps to limit misinformation and prevent bloodshed. Some individual users on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are being blocked, the most high-profile, of course, being Trump’s @realdonaldtrump Twitter handle, with 88 million followers.

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History of this topic

Trump declares a new war on Big Tech
1 week, 6 days ago

Trump declares a new war on Big Tech

Politico  

“At the FTC, we will end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech,” Ferguson pledged on X. Carr, a longtime conservative gadfly initially nominated to the FCC by Trump and strongly supported by Elon Musk, has leaned into culture-war rhetoric and last month pledged on social media and cable news to smash the “censorship cartel” of Big Tech. Adam …

US court denies TikTok's bid to overturn ban
2 weeks, 5 days ago

US court denies TikTok's bid to overturn ban

India Today  

The potential ban could strain US-China relations just as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. TikTok will also be looking to Trump, who has emerged as an unlikely ally, arguing that a ban would mainly benefit Meta's platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Trump's stance reflects broader conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly suppressing right-wing content, including …

Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the rise of the Free Speech Bro.
54 years, 11 months ago

Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the rise of the Free Speech Bro.

Slate  

As President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet takes shape, Trump has shown a preference for a very clear type: the free speech bro. On this week’s Amicus podcast, Dahlia Lithwick was joined by professor Mary Anne Franks, author of Fearless Speech: Breaking Free From the First Amendment, to discuss why the metaphorical “marketplace of ideas” works so very much like an actual …

Expect This Election to Play Differently than 2020 on Social Media
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Expect This Election to Play Differently than 2020 on Social Media

Bloomberg  

Heading into the US presidential election four years ago, Facebook and Twitter instituted substantial policies to combat misleading political content, touted their investments into content moderation and promised to do all they could to avoid a free-for-all on their platforms. Just before Election Day in 2020, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told investors the election would be a test …

Ahead of the Election, Social Media Platforms Have Given Up
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ahead of the Election, Social Media Platforms Have Given Up

Wired  

Our social media platforms and government have had four years to get this right. In the days following January 6, Meta, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch suspended former president Donald Trump over posts the companies said glorified the violence at the Capitol. Jim Jordan was elevated to chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee and immediately launched investigations stifling the work …

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers
2 months ago

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers

ABC  

Australia will be the first in the world to ban social media for kids if the federal government goes ahead with its proposal to tighten restrictions by the end of the year. Support for young people and families The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 ED HOPE, 8am-midnight, 7 days a week ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support for young people …

Elon Musk is asking people to yell at him (ideally on X). Here’s why
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Elon Musk is asking people to yell at him (ideally on X). Here’s why

Live Mint  

X owner Elon Musk has reaffirmed his commitment to freedom of speech, stating that the social media giant should support all viewpoints within the law of the land, even those with which he disagrees. If that doesn’t seem to be happening, please yell at me.” Musk supports Mark Zuckerberg's claims on censorship: Meanwhile, Elon Musk also recently responded to a …

All you need to know about DDoS attack that delayed Musk's Trump interview on X
4 months, 1 week ago

All you need to know about DDoS attack that delayed Musk's Trump interview on X

India TV News  

The highly anticipated interview of former US President Donald Trump by Elon Musk on the social media platform X, which Musk owns, was delayed due to technical issues. Donald Trump X ban Former President Donald Trump was permanently suspended from X in January 2021, when the social media platform was known as Twitter. Trump has posted just one message since …

Donald Trump returns to X/Twitter – with hidden post
4 months, 1 week ago

Donald Trump returns to X/Twitter – with hidden post

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Shortly after Elon Musk took over Twitter, in late 2022, Mr Trump’s account was reinstated. But in …

U.S. Presidential Election 2024 | Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts will no longer be affected by “heightened suspension penalties”
5 months, 1 week ago

U.S. Presidential Election 2024 | Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts will no longer be affected by “heightened suspension penalties”

The Hindu  

In the months leading up to the U.S. presidential election, Meta has said that it will no longer subject Donald Trump—a former President and the Republican party nominee—to “heightened suspension penalties.”​ “In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis. As …

Meta to ease restrictions on Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts
5 months, 1 week ago

Meta to ease restrictions on Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts

India TV News  

Meta announced that it would roll back certain restrictions which were imposed earlier on former U.S. President Donald Trump- for using Facebook and Instagram. Background of suspension and reinstatement Following the events of January 6, when Meta indefinitely suspended Trump's accounts due to his comments which were praising the individuals involved in storming the U.S. Capitol. Changes in monitoring Meta …

Facebook lifts restrictions on Trump, giving him equal footing with Biden on the social media site
5 months, 1 week ago

Facebook lifts restrictions on Trump, giving him equal footing with Biden on the social media site

LA Times  

Facebook has lifted restrictions it had imposed on former President Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Facebook has lifted restrictions imposed on Donald Trump after his supporters’ Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, placing the former president on an equal footing on the platform with President Biden just days before the Republican National Convention. Meta, Facebook’s …

Meta lifts restrictions on Trump’s Facebook, Instagram accounts
5 months, 1 week ago

Meta lifts restrictions on Trump’s Facebook, Instagram accounts

Al Jazeera  

Social media giant headed by Mark Zuckerberg says Americans should be able to hear from the nominees running for US president. Meta has said it is rolling back restrictions on former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, as the presumptive Republican nominee seeks to regain the White House in November. The social media company headed by Mark Zuckerberg …

'It's an honour': Trump joins Tiktok after once trying to ban platform, instantly gets 3 million followers
6 months, 3 weeks ago

'It's an honour': Trump joins Tiktok after once trying to ban platform, instantly gets 3 million followers

India TV News  

Washington: Former US President and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump officially joined the China-owned short video-sharing platform TikTok, after once trying to ban the app during his term in the White House. "It's an honour," Trump said in the TikTok video, which features footage of him waving to fans and posing for selfies at the Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in …

Donald Trump’s social media company soars in Wall Street debut
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Donald Trump’s social media company soars in Wall Street debut

Al Jazeera  

Shares of former Donald Trump’s social media company soared by as much as 59 percent on the first day of trading on Wall Street, boosting the former United States president’s expected windfall as he faces a growing list of legal bills. The Trump Media & Technology Group reached $79.38 per share at its peak on Tuesday, before closing 16 percent …

'Legal warfare' threatens Trump’s grasp on multi-billion dollar Truth Social deal: report
9 months ago

'Legal warfare' threatens Trump’s grasp on multi-billion dollar Truth Social deal: report

Raw Story  

Former President Donald Trump's media company is facing an internal battle as several figures who played a role in its founding are taking legal action, or are the targets of suits themselves. Trump Media's co-founders, former "Apprentice" stars Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, along with former DWAC director Patrick Orlando, have all been caught up in litigation. Digital World is …

Trump returns to social media platform X, posts mugshot from county jail
1 year, 4 months ago

Trump returns to social media platform X, posts mugshot from county jail

Al Jazeera  

The former US president returned to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to post his police mugshot. Former United States President Donald Trump has returned to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, with a post showing his mug shot from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia earlier in the day. The mugshot released …

Revealed: Jack Smith got search warrant for Trump's Twitter account
1 year, 4 months ago

Revealed: Jack Smith got search warrant for Trump's Twitter account

Raw Story  

Special counsel Jack Smith earlier this year sought and then received a search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Twitter account. "Twitter complained that the order violated the First Amendment and that the federal judge overseeing the matter at the time — U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell — should have blocked enforcement of the search warrant until the objection …

Trump’s gone 'off the rails' as violent social media messages reach 'another level': analyst
1 year, 5 months ago

Trump’s gone 'off the rails' as violent social media messages reach 'another level': analyst

Raw Story  

Donald Trump’s reckless use of social media has gone “off the rails” in recent days, The Washington Post reports in an analysis of the former president’s virtual communications that have prompted concerns about the potential for real violence. Taranto shared Trump’s Truth Social Post on his Telegram account, where the Jan. 6 defendant wrote “We got these losers surrounded!” adding …

Elon Musk put new limits on tweets. Users and advertisers might go elsewhere
1 year, 5 months ago

Elon Musk put new limits on tweets. Users and advertisers might go elsewhere

LA Times  

Elon Musk has put new limits on Twitter, the latest drastic change to the social media platform that could further drive away advertisers and undermine its cultural influence as atrendsetter. But Twitter owner Elon Musk has put new limits on his digital town square, the latest drastic change to the social media platform that could further drive away advertisers and …

'BEWARE of Twitter': Report tags platform as the worst major social media platform for LGBTQ+ community
1 year, 6 months ago

'BEWARE of Twitter': Report tags platform as the worst major social media platform for LGBTQ+ community

India TV News  

All major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment — especially those who are transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming, the advocacy group GLAAD said Thursday. In its annual Social Media Safety Index, GLAAD gave Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter low or failing scores, saying the platforms don’t do enough to keep their …

Twitter is the worst major social media platform when it comes to LGBTQ+ safety, says GLAAD
1 year, 6 months ago

Twitter is the worst major social media platform when it comes to LGBTQ+ safety, says GLAAD

The Hindu  

All major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment — especially those who are transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming, the advocacy group GLAAD said Thursday. “There isn’t a week that goes by that we don’t have a doxxing situation for somebody in our community that we have to come in and help them …

Reclaiming The Freedom Of Speech And Expression In An Orwellian Dystopia
1 year, 7 months ago

Reclaiming The Freedom Of Speech And Expression In An Orwellian Dystopia

Live Law  

The median age of this graduating class, I'm guessing, is 23. The India Press Freedom Report 2020 by the Rights & Risks Analysis Group documented the targeting of at least 228 journalists and media houses through FIRs, show cause notices requiring appearance during lockdowns, detention and questioning by the police without registration of any formal case. On 7 March 2022, …

Twitter Really Is Worse Than Ever
1 year, 7 months ago

Twitter Really Is Worse Than Ever

Wired  

A year ago, Elon Musk announced that he wanted to buy Twitter to clear it of bots and turn “the de facto public town square” into a place for unfettered free speech. After he took over the platform, Musk insisted that “Twitter’s strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged.” But around the same time, Twitter fired most of its …

One billionaire owner, twice the hate: Twitter hate speech surged with Musk, study says
1 year, 7 months ago

One billionaire owner, twice the hate: Twitter hate speech surged with Musk, study says

LA Times  

In October, polarizing billionaire and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk purchased the polarizing social media platform Twitter for $44 billion, promising to change how the site operated. In various statements, most of them tweets, Musk made allusions to decreased moderation on the platform, pledging to make the site a bastion of “free speech.” In the months that followed, he implemented …

Twitter’s updated hateful content policy restricts reach, but does not enforce full ban
1 year, 8 months ago

Twitter’s updated hateful content policy restricts reach, but does not enforce full ban

The Hindu  

Twitter will no longer remove tweets that violate its hateful content policy, but will instead tag them as having violated the rules of the platform. The new policy is aimed at increasing transparency on enforcement actions, and to promote free speech while restricting its reach – a new approach to content moderation. “These labels bring a new level of transparency …

Elon Musk sucks at Twitter, succeeds at fascism
1 year, 8 months ago

Elon Musk sucks at Twitter, succeeds at fascism

Raw Story  

Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter would rank among the worst business decisions in human history, if the goal were … business. First, let’s concede the whole thing started as a bad joke – one of Elon’s characteristically awful attempts at being funny, which are generally either stolen from Reddit or paper-thin cover for his flaccid attempts at dick swinging. The …

Opinion: Trump’s support faces its biggest test
1 year, 8 months ago

Opinion: Trump’s support faces its biggest test

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Sign up to get this weekly column as a newsletter. “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said even as he accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of “pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office.” If Trump is prosecuted, he could …

'I'm Back': Former US President Donald Trump returns to Facebook, writes his first post after two-year ban
1 year, 9 months ago

'I'm Back': Former US President Donald Trump returns to Facebook, writes his first post after two-year ban

India TV News  

Washington : Former US President Donald Trump, on Friday, wrote his first post on his reinstated Facebook after being banned from social media platforms for two years. Musk restored Trump's Twitter account last year Notably, last year in November, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had reinstated Trump's Twitter account following a ban since January, 2021. The decision was taken …

YouTube restores Trump's channel
1 year, 9 months ago

YouTube restores Trump's channel

Firstpost  

Washington: YouTube is reinstating former US president Donald Trump’s account, the video-sharing platform said on Friday, more than two years after he was banned over the US Capitol insurrection. “We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election.” YouTube is …

YouTube fully restores Donald Trump’s account
1 year, 9 months ago

YouTube fully restores Donald Trump’s account

Al Jazeera  

Video streaming platform says the decision aims to allow voters to hear equally from candidates in the run-up to the 2024 vote. YouTube has lifted restrictions on Donald Trump’s channel, becoming the latest social media network to fully restore the former United States president’s account more than two years after his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol. After a right-wing …

Matt Taibbi scorched in hearing for skipping Trump push to censor Chrissy Teigen in Twitter expose
1 year, 9 months ago

Matt Taibbi scorched in hearing for skipping Trump push to censor Chrissy Teigen in Twitter expose

Raw Story  

A House lawmaker criticized journalist Matt Taibbi Thursday for omitting Donald Trump's push to censor model Chrissy Teigen on Twitter in Taibbi's attack on the government over its alleged left-wing pressure on the social media platform. Taibbi — armed with files released to him by CEO Elon Musk — late last year tried to make a case in his so-called …

Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts restored
1 year, 10 months ago

Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts restored

The Telegraph  

Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts have been restored after he was banned from the platforms in the wake of the deadly Capitol riots. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, confirmed it had restored Mr Trump’s access to both platforms on Thursday. The move was expected as the company announced last month that it would lift Mr Trump’s …

Ex-Twitter officials reject GOP claims of government collusion
1 year, 10 months ago

Ex-Twitter officials reject GOP claims of government collusion

NPR  

Ex-Twitter officials reject GOP claims of government collusion Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images Former Twitter officials denied claims the U.S. government and Joe Biden's presidential campaign were involved in the social network's controversial, short-lived decision to block users from sharing a New York Post story about Biden's son Hunter just weeks before the 2020 …

‘Some issue…’: Elon Musk’s test identifies problem with locked Twitter account
1 year, 10 months ago

‘Some issue…’: Elon Musk’s test identifies problem with locked Twitter account

Live Mint  

After receiving complaints regarding the engagement through public and private posts, Elon Musk on Wednesday locked his own account to test the same and cited that there are some “issues with the system”. “Made my account private until tomorrow morning to test whether you see my private tweets more than my public ones,” he tweeted shortly after 6:00 a.m. London …

Facebook's big money grab: Don't believe the spin — Trump is key to social media company's success
1 year, 10 months ago

Facebook's big money grab: Don't believe the spin — Trump is key to social media company's success

Raw Story  

Whatever Meta executives might say about the choice to allow Donald Trump back onto Facebook and Instagram, even though the former president incited a violent insurrection two years ago, know this: It's total honking nonsense. As Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, said in an emailed statement, "Trump's Truth Social account has shown us exactly how he'd use …

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban
1 year, 10 months ago

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban

Associated Press  

Facebook parent Meta said Wednesday it will restore former President Donald Trump ‘s personal account in the coming weeks, ending a two-year suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Meta said Trump’s accounts will be restored “in the coming weeks” on both Facebook and Instagram. Facebook is not only the world’s largest social media site, but …

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban
1 year, 10 months ago

Donald Trump to be allowed back on Facebook after 2-year ban

The Hindu  

Facebook parent Meta said on Wednesday it will restore former President Donald Trump 's personal account in the coming weeks, ending a two-year suspension it imposed in the wake of the January 6 insurrection. Facebook is not only the world's largest social media site, but had been a crucial source of fundraising revenue for Trump’s campaigns, which spent millions of …

Donald Trump's Facebook account reinstated after 2-year ban
1 year, 10 months ago

Donald Trump's Facebook account reinstated after 2-year ban

India TV News  

Facebook parent Meta is reinstating former President Donald Trump's personal account, ending a two-year suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan.6 insurrection. Facebook is not only the world's largest social media site, but had been a crucial source of fundraising revenue for Trump's campaigns, which spent millions of dollars on the company's ads in 2016 and 2020. Indeed, …

Trump immediately starts trashing Facebook after it unbans him from platform
1 year, 10 months ago

Trump immediately starts trashing Facebook after it unbans him from platform

Raw Story  

Facebook parent company Meta on Wednesday announced it was letting former President Donald Trump back on its platform -- and Trump immediately responded by trashing them. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump attacked Meta for ever banning him in the first place after he spread lies about the 2020 election on Facebook that incited the deadly January …

Meta will let Donald Trump back on Facebook, Instagram
1 year, 11 months ago

Meta will let Donald Trump back on Facebook, Instagram

The Telegraph  

Donald Trump is set to have his Facebook and Instagram accounts reinstated but Meta will put up “guardrails” to “deter” any offensive behaviour, Nick Clegg, the company’s head of policy, announced on Wednesday. Mr Trump, writing on his own social media site Truth Social, responded by saying such a ban should “never again happen to a sitting president”, while claiming …

Trump rips Meta after they allow him back on Facebook and Instagram at end of two-year ban
1 year, 11 months ago

Trump rips Meta after they allow him back on Facebook and Instagram at end of two-year ban

Salon  

On Wednesday, news spread that Trump's two-year ban on Meta owned social platforms Facebook and Instagram has come to an end, and that he could return if he chose to do so. Trump's ban commenced in June of 2021 for much the same reason that led to him being banned on Twitter for an equally long span of time, presenting …

Donald Trump set to return to Facebook? Here's why he was banned and what Meta says about his return
1 year, 11 months ago

Donald Trump set to return to Facebook? Here's why he was banned and what Meta says about his return

India Today  

Elon Musk, after taking over Twitter in a highly-publicised USD 44 billion deal, had reinstated former US President Donald Trump’s account in November 2022. After gaining access back to his Twitter account, Donald Trump is now requesting Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to reactivate his account. Donald Trump’s request to reactivate his Facebook account AFP reported that Trump’s lawyer, in his …

New research shows that Donald Trump's fascist attacks on democracy may have backfired
1 year, 11 months ago

New research shows that Donald Trump's fascist attacks on democracy may have backfired

Raw Story  

The internet and social media are a type of experience machine. As many democracy experts and other observers have concluded, Trump's rise to power was empowered by the internet, social media, and how the American right wing has spent several decades creating a parallel media machine and other institutions that together function as a type of alternate universe for its …

Twitter says it will relax ban on political advertising
1 year, 11 months ago

Twitter says it will relax ban on political advertising

The Hindu  

Twitter says it will ease up on its 3-year-old ban on political advertising, the latest change by Elon Musk as he tries to pump up revenue after purchasing the social media platform last year. — Twitter Safety January 3, 2023 “We also plan to expand the political advertising we permit in the coming weeks," the company said from its Twitter …

US demanded suspension of 250k Twitter accounts, including journalists: Musk
1 year, 11 months ago

US demanded suspension of 250k Twitter accounts, including journalists: Musk

Deccan Chronicle  

Washington: Twitter chief Elon Musk on Tuesday disclosed that US Government demanded the suspension of 250k Twitter accounts, including those belonging to journalists and Canadian officials, reported Fox News. "US govt agency demanded suspension of 250k accounts, including journalists & Canadian officials!" However, Twitter's subsequent task force to hunt Russian influence on the platform showed "no coordinated" effort and mostly …

Analysis: Elon Musk and Donald Trump, 2 disrupters face reckoning
2 years ago

Analysis: Elon Musk and Donald Trump, 2 disrupters face reckoning

India TV News  

Elon Musk and Donald Trump share bestride-the-colossus egos, an incessant desire to be the centre of attention and a platform to showcase their eccentricities and erraticism. "Given their life experiences, how could these guys not feel invincible?” Kindred spirits at least in part, Musk invited Trump back on Twitter shortly after he bought it. Musk's invitation was a selective exercise …

Twitter bans linking to Facebook, Instagram, other rivals
2 years ago

Twitter bans linking to Facebook, Instagram, other rivals

The Hindu  

Twitter users will no longer be able to link to certain rival social media websites, including what the company described Sunday as “prohibited platforms” Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon. It's the latest move by Twitter's new owner Elon Musk to crack down on certain speech after he shut down a Twitter account last week that was tracking the flights of his …

Journalist suspensions widen rift between Twitter and media
2 years ago

Journalist suspensions widen rift between Twitter and media

Associated Press  

Elon Musk’s abrupt suspension of several journalists who cover Twitter widens a growing rift between the social media site and media organizations that have used the platform to build their audiences. That address is not current, Lopez said, because “he changes his email every few weeks.” Sound of exchange as Twitter owner Elon Musk joins Twitter Spaces conference chat Thursday …

Anti-LGBTQ Hate Thrives Online, Spurs Fears Of More Violence
2 years ago

Anti-LGBTQ Hate Thrives Online, Spurs Fears Of More Violence

Huff Post  

FILE - Attendees congregate at a rally against gender-affirming care at War Memorial Plaza in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 21, 2022. Hate speech and threats of violence targeting transgender people and other LGBTQ individuals is thriving on social media and spurring fears of more violence. On Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, researchers and LGBTQ advocates have tracked an increase in hate speech …

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