Four Ways Social Media Censors Free Speech
Since the early days of social media, censorship has been a hot-button issue. Whether it’s Facebook removing posts deemed “offensive” or Twitter shadow banning users who express unpopular opinions, people have consistently criticized social media platforms for silencing dissenting voices. This problem is only getting worse. In recent months, social media platforms have been increasingly aggressive in their censorship efforts, suspending and de-platforming users who violate their terms of service. This situation has led to several high-profile cases of social media censorship. From former President Donald Trump and Roger Stone to podcast influencer Alex Jones, the list of people experiencing social media censorship is growing daily.
“Offensive” Facebook Posts
One of the most common ways social media platforms censor free speech is by removing posts that are deemed offensive. This task can be laborious, as one person may find it offensive and another may not. Most times, Facebook will remove posts simply because they are controversial.
If there were a set list of rules, it’d be easy to avoid the wrath of the social media giant. However, Facebook and other platforms keep moving the goal post, leaving users hesitant to as much as disagree with someone on a public post to safeguard their account.
In 2018, Facebook admitted this was challenging. A USA Today article covered the Congressional meeting. During which, CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained,
“We’re developing AI tools that can identify certain classes of bad activity proactively and flag it for our team at Facebook,” he said. But he acknowledged there are challenges.
“Determining if something is hate speech is very linguistically nuanced.”
Shadow Banning
Another type of social media censorship occurs when users’ posts are hidden from the platform’s algorithm. It restricts users who express unpopular opinions or fall into specific “banned” categories, such as nationalists, conservatives, and Trump supporters. Their followers are the only ones to see posts that are shadow-banned.
Many have accused Twitter of shadow banning people in the past, and some social media analysts have accused Facebook of the same practice under a different name.
“De-Platforming”
Another way social media platforms censor free speech is by de-platforming users who express opinions that are deemed “dangerous.” De-platforming is the act of suspending or banning a user’s account on a social media platform.
This tactic has become a favorite of social media giants over the past few years.
In 2017, Twitter removed verification from several prominent conservative accounts, including Alt-Right founder Richard Spencer and journalists Laura Loomer and James Allsup.
The year 2018 brought more social media censorship.
In August, former Microsoft executive Mark Penn sat down with NPR to discuss the pros and cons of de-platforming.
“Well, look – we are a First Amendment society. We were founded on the First Amendment. We don’t hold people responsible for speech that doesn’t create a threat of imminent violence. If his speech did create a threat of imminent violence, our legal system would hold him responsible. If we are, in effect, going to have these enormous platforms that were meant to be open platforms now decide what gets listened to and what’s not, there’s no limit to what could happen here or how social pressure can put people in vogue one day and out vogue the next.”
The 2019 Freedom on the Net Report was frightening.
“In addition to facilitating the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation during election periods, social media platforms have enabled the collection and analysis of vast amounts of data on entire populations … The future of internet freedom rests on our ability to fix social media.”
Before the end of 2019, Facebook claims to have removed seven million hate speech posts. This number has only grown since. In 2020, they began clamping down on “COVID-19 misinformation.” The social media site removed over seven million posts in a few short months. A report shows hate speech removal for the quarter increased significantly with 9.6 million posts.
Remember, these are mainly removed through AI programs and no human checks to see if they’re real violations or threats. The pandemic increased how much of the process is computer-generated, increasing the problem tenfold. Many users are unjustly accused and lose account access temporarily and even face permanent bans without access to an appeals process.
As the world enters 2022, the once free platforms are now removing accounts entirely without warning.
Censorship on Social Media Platforms Is Getting Worse
As censorship on social media platforms becomes more aggressive, more users turn to alternative outlets that allow for free speech. The billions of online users seek refuge in Gab, Parler, and Breakout.
Gab
Gab is a social media platform that champions free speech while discouraging censorship. The site’s policy prohibits “illegal pornography” and “promotion of violence,” but otherwise, users are free to post what they want.
A key reason so many social media users use Gab is the lack of censorship. While other platforms drive away conservative voices, Gab welcomes them.
Parler
In the wake of Donald Trump’s de-platforming from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, Parler became one of the top social media sites in the country. It’s already home to several high-profile users who were kicked off other platforms, including Roger Stone, Mike Cernovich, and Tommy Robinson.
Parler boasts of its commitment to free speech.
“Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being “deplatformed” for your views. Engage with real people, not bots. Parler is people and privacy-focused and gives you the tools you need to curate your Parler experience.”
Of all the social media platforms available to users, Parler quickly becomes one of the most popular for those who have experienced social media censorship.
Breakout Is the Place to Go for De-Platformed Social Media Users
If you’re a social media user experiencing censorship on Facebook, or other platforms, like Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, Breakout is the place for you. With a growing community of like-minded individuals, it’s the perfect place to share your opinions and ideas without fear of censorship.
Breakout is the best stop for de-platformed users of other social media channels. It’s a platform created in response to rampant social media censorship. It is a safe space for users who have been banned or suspended from other social media channels. This social media site only removes posts deemed violent after a full review by a person, not a robot.
