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Comment by jessaustin | Hacker News Reader

I don't find this dishonest at all. Not everyone in USA agrees with the Great Suspensioning. Why would we expect everyone in Poland to agree with it?

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If they don't agree they don't have to use it. It's dishonest because the characterization suggests that sovereign nations are beholden to tech companies, but they aren't.

They also don't have to allow foreign tech companies to operate in their country without following local laws.

US tech companies hold almost as much power in these smaller countries as the government does. Facebook could easily sway an election if it tries.

> They also don't have to allow foreign tech companies to operate in their country without following local laws.

Exactly right. So it's wrong to say that these governments are beholden to the tech companies, they could simply block them if wanted to, and perhaps they should, but either way it's obviously wrong to say that these governments are beholden.

> Facebook could easily sway an election if it tries.

So could the people being banned by Facebook. What's your point here?

There is a step between banning and giving a free for all which is requiring that social media follow local laws with the threat of being banned for non compliance.

If Facebook/Twitter doesn't agree to the law, they don't have to operate in Poland. Nobody is forcing them.

Correct. So if anything Facebook/Twitter are beholden to these governments, not the other way around, they could simply block these megacorps if they were inclined to do so. I'm sure that would make many Polish tech founders very happy.

Define beholden.

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