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from the what-you-see-depends-on-where-you-are dept.
Silicon Valley is a uniquely American creation, the product of an entrepreneurial spirit and no-holds-barred capitalism that now drives many aspects of modern life.
But the likes of Facebook, Google and Apple are increasingly facing an uncomfortable truth: it is Europe's culture of tougher oversight of companies, not America's laissez-faire attitude, which could soon rule their industry as governments seek to combat fake news and prevent extremists from using the internet to fan the flames of hatred.
While the U.S. has largely relied on market forces to regulate content in a country where free speech is revered, European officials have shown they are willing to act. Germany recently passed a law imposing fines of up to 50 million euros ($59 million) on websites that don't remove hate speech within 24 hours. British Prime Minister Theresa May wants companies to take down extremist material within two hours. And across the EU, Google has for years been obliged to remove search results if there is a legitimate complaint about the content's veracity or relevance.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Friday November 03 2017, @09:11PM (2 children)
If you read my post that you replied to, it should be fairly obvious that I'm not actually advocating either the US's or EU's laws. I'm just pointing out that the laws may be in conflict, and companies have to follow the laws in jurisdictions in which they operate, and if that results in the company applying laws from one jurisdiction to another (as censoring posts on a site in accordance with EU law isn't illegal in the US, whereas refusing to censor may get them in trouble with EU authorities; basically this is like a "lowest common denominator"), then ultimately it's up to the users to decide whether they want to continue using that service, or find an alternate service which doesn't try to follow the laws in multiple jurisdictions.
Basically I'm saying the end-users should stop expecting big corporations to cater to them and their whims.
Somewhat related, I'm getting sick of hearing people, esp far-right people, whining about sites like Facebook and YouTube "censoring" them, yet they keep using these sites anyway. The right-wingers are usually screaming about "private property rights", but then when a big corporation exercises those rights they cry foul. So hypocritical. If you don't like it, don't use it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 04 2017, @01:09AM (1 child)
It's hard to imagine a world in which Facebook and YouTube censored your stuff, but try. Wouldn't you find that horribly offensive? What could you realistically do about it?
Let's just take things to an extreme. In this alternate world, major web sites are all far-right. Negative comments about Trump will get your account locked, unless perhaps you are complaining that he is too liberal. (you could say "lock her up" or "build the wall", and even call him a lazy ass for not getting it done, but NO complaints if he does it) Suggesting that there might be a global climate problem will get your account locked. You can get your account locked by saying anything remotely positive about muslims, Mexicans, abortion, CNN, fact checkers, Obama, Hillary, subsidies, or government health care.
In this alternate world, all of current culture is still on Facebook and YouTube. Your friends, family, and coworkers all expect to communicate with you on these platforms. You still need to communicate with conservative people, and they aren't about to leave these platforms. Whenever you post, you fear losing access. You have to self-censor because you can't afford to lose access. Meanwhile, all the conservative people are happily posting away. The most extreme far-right and alt-right people can post whatever they like. You fear posting responses because you'll lose your account.
Sure, you could go to voat or gab.ai and be all by yourself, but "all by yourself" isn't useful at all.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday November 06 2017, @03:33PM
It's hard to imagine a world in which Facebook and YouTube censored your stuff, but try. Wouldn't you find that horribly offensive? What could you realistically do about it?
I'd do the same thing I do with Apple, because I find apple's products and business practices offensive: I'd stop using them. Same with Microsoft, except I'm stuck using their crap at work, but at least I don't spend a dime of my personal money on their junk. Same with Best Buy; I had one bad experience about 12 years ago, and haven't bought anything from them since. Same with TGIFriday's: I find their crappy food horribly offensive, so I don't eat there.
Let's just take things to an extreme. In this alternate world, major web sites are all far-right.
What world are you in? In the world I inhabit, Facebook is a far-right website. Zuckerberg may personally spout liberal platitudes, but the people actually using his site for political purposes are all far-right from what I've seen. I see no shortage of insane right-wing garbage on there, posted by dumb friends of my relatives. The liberals don't seem to be on there; they're probably too busy commenting on Slate or HuffPost articles or something. Honestly, Facebook is very low-brow; intelligent, highly-educated people do not spend time posting utter inanity in a social forum.
In this alternate world, all of current culture is still on Facebook and YouTube.
"Still"? Since when is "all of current culture" on these two sites? That is literally the stupidest thing I've heard all day. (To be fair, it's still morning here.) Do you honestly believe that bullshit? Get off your computer and go experience real life: there's a lot more to "current culture" than these stupid sites.
Your friends, family, and coworkers all expect to communicate with you on these platforms.
If you have to use Facebook to communicate with your coworkers, you need to look for a new job. That's seriously stupid. And if your friends will only talk to you on Facebook, find some new friends. Do your friends insist you get an iPhone too, or tell you which cellular service you must use to talk to them?
Honestly, your post is idiotic. No one is realistically requiring you to use Facebook to avoid being shunned into hermit-dom. Anyone who refuses to talk to you by some other method (like, oh, telephone?? Or SMS texting? Or email?) is someone you don't need in your life.