Since 1996, internet platforms (eg, Facebook) have been protected by Section 230, which provides immunity for website platforms from third-party content. The Trump Administration aimed to weaken these protections. Remarkably, the Section 230 debate had led Big Tech to intervene in its “third-party content” (eg, blocking Donald Trump on Facebook and Twitter).
Early April 2020, Facebook suddenly started removing user postings (a.k.a. third-party content). Facebook posted warnings that “your post goes against our Community Standards”. A week later, these removed posts were restored; probably following media attention (eg, Forbes). About a month later, Facebook removed all links to my Google blog and even blocked its URL.
Last Saturday, I woke up and read that 8 of my 2,500+ blogs had been deleted by Google Blogspot. Google claimed these had violated its “content policy” and “threatened” that they may cancel my entire blog following continued violation. Eleven hours later, Google wrote to me that my blogs had been restored following a review. However, to date these blogs are still missing.
These events have made me suspicious that Google Blogspot may be up to the same as Facebook in 2020. Hence, I’m considering my options.
Setting up my own website is one of these options. That should allow for full artistic freedom. Hence, no future violation of any Community Standards as these standards would be mine. Nevertheless, even this option is not foolproof. Recently, Amazon Web Services cancelled the internet hosting service of the pro-Trump Parler website (eg, BBC).
I could blame “the sign of the times” but I will not. Censorship is nothing new in human history. Big Tech’s intervening with Section 230 is (probably) not a smart move as it may well result in a removal of its immunity from third-party content. Would I then sue Facebook or Google? Probably not. However, Parler is already suing Amazon Web Services (eg, The Verge, The Verge-update).
My 2018 blog Paradigm shifts in the 7 Belief systems mentioned that the Truth (as a belief system) would be replaced by Data-Info. For societies like China and Russia, controlling the Data-Information narrative is crucial. Its benefits are increasingly clear to “others”.
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” A quote from the 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by Eric Arthur Blair a.k.a. George Orwell (1903-1950).
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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