How is it not censorship when somebody actively monitors what is posted on Twitter and makes a judgement on whether or not that post is appropriate? What is appropriate and how does free speech equate to that in your mind?
The owners of a platform have a social responsibility to curate it.
NB: I am not a constitutional lawyer.
That's so basic a fallacy that I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you're being obtuse and didn't really make that mistake.
It is censorship. It is also censorship to prevent me from claiming a jar of pickle juice is a cure for cancer in a television advertisement.
The account cancellations by Twitter were a direct response to incitement of harassment and promotion of hate speech. It's likely that some violent leftists are ignored by the Twitter ban hammer, but they aren't nearly as effective at stirring up harassment, death threats, swatting, threatening family members, etc. It may be unfair that only successful trolls are being picked on, but it's the way the world works.
Everyone is biased, to one degree or another. Subjective judgement can be quite a useful tool, actually (but that's a much broader topic).
How is it not censorship when somebody actively monitors what is posted on Twitter and makes a judgement on whether or not that post is appropriate?
My own definition of censorship is any any kind of restrictions that are government-enforced (or enforced via proxies such as public universities).
Editorial and/or community guidelines imposed by private media companies aren't "censorship", by this definition -- they're just that: editorial or community guidelines (which have always been in place, ever since people started investing the effort in creating mass copies of readable works via clay tablets, strands of knots, notches on wood, etc).
What is appropriate and how does free speech equate to that in your mind?
In my mind it all comes down to "not being an asshole." HN has a few additional guidelines, which I find eminently sensible and am happy to comply with. As do FB or this new Gab platform (both of which I'm less in favor of, and choose not to participate in).
To each their own watering hole, as it were -- and that's about as fair as one can expect things to ever be (and about as close to the the libertarian paradise a lot of these alt-right folks are dreaming for, as we'll ever get).
Do you ever downvote comments or flag stories here on Hacker News? Do you think that is censorship? Do you think it is appropriate?