So, I received some responses to Monday’s post where I discussed how freedom of speech does not guarantee freedom from consequences. Some of the responses said there were some flaws in my post, and I want to further explain my point for those who may have missed it. From there, I will segueue into the second post for this week.
OK, on Monday, I mentioned how there are some limits to the First Amendment, and I brought up the old yelling fire in a crowded movie theatre analogy. Some criticized this, saying that example is not what people think it is, and therefore is misused. It is true that yelling fire in a crowded movie theatre was never against the law, or any law, though it is harmful. In fact, a law that overturned U.S. v. Schenck, which called for civil disobedience during WWI, has more defined what sort of speech is not protected by the First Amendment. That will be Brandenburg v. Ohio, in which led to three requirements for speech to be incitement: “The speaker must intend to cause violence. The violence must be the likely result of the speech. And the violence must be imminent.”
So there you go. The point of my last newsletter was to point out how there are some limits to the First Amendment. What you see above is among that.
Now, Big Tech. As I mentioned on Monday, I’m no fan of Big Tech. I feel they are a monopoly, which is illegal and their monopoly needs to be done away with right away. I also believe social media does not do enough to combat images of violence against children and animals, and others (such as that live Facebook video of the double mosque shooting in New Zealand in 2019). I note the irony here, since I use social media to promote my work via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, just like most other writers. But I’m not anti-social media; I’m anti-monopoly. But anyway, I’m hear to further discuss freedom of speech on Big Tech.
And here’s where I sequeue into today’s topic: what is the future of Freedom of Speech?
Personally, I feel last week’s insurrection means it is time to reflect on what the First Amendment really means, and how to keep that liberty, while not abusing it. Social media banning President Trump, and others, may seem like a violation of freedom of speech, but some point to bigger issues, or problems, for that matter. Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO, admits he wonders if removing Trump from his platform, and thus his company’s platform, could lead to further problems in a “free and open global internet”. According to NPR, Dorsey said in his threaded-tweet, “A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same."
Businesses and corporations have a lot of power, perhaps too much (hence my view on Big Tech) and little is done to limit them. But as the saying goes (which originated back in 1793 at the French National Convention), “with great power comes great responsibility”. Social media has the power to create conversation between strangers who would not talk to each other otherwise. But, as we have seen in the last few years, it has the power to cause a lot of misinformation which can lead to destruction, as last week showed.
Perhaps it can feel that way because governments use social media to communicate to their citizens, either to tell truths or spread lies. Let’s also not forget how bots are all over social media, and some “fake accounts” are really created by companies, often from Russia and even China, meant to cause division in other countries, in particular, the United States. In other words, governments do use social media to spread misinformation to stoke fires, so to speak. This article by The Conversation does a good job explaining this, and even wonders what the future of social media is going to look like: “Calls for tighter regulation and firmer policing are likely to follow Facebook and Twitter until they truly get to grips with the tendency of their platforms to host, spread and multiply disinformation.”
During the Enlightenment period, French philosopher and playwright, Voltaire, once said, “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
Nearly 400 years later, he’s still not wrong.
Anyway, freedom of speech is privilege and a human right. But like that great saying says, “with great power, comes great responsibility”. People living in a democracy very often have the power to say as they please. But some don’t take responsibility for what they say or post online. They don’t realize what they’re saying or doing can hurt or is hurting someone, or they don’t care. They don’t realize what they’re posting can be inaccurate or a total lie. They don’t seem to realize there’s consequences to their actions. And sometimes, that irresponsibility leads to violence, and people getting hurt or even killed.
So, where does Freedom of Speech go from here?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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