How Big Tech Is Strangling Your Freedom | Hacker News Reader

How Big Tech Is Strangling Your Freedom

bariweiss.substack.com

29 pointsbarbacoa10 comments

> We need to fundamentally understand that free speech in our society has been privatized.

He has a point. Particularly interesting is how big tech operates like a flock of birds - one takes the lead, the entire flock rapidly follows in synchro, despite it being (probably) unplanned.

The current war in Ukraine has provided another example of flock like behaviour from big business - the private sector sanctions levelled at Russia were entirely unexpected by all the protagonists in this conflict. Incredibly, it seems like it is PR / consumer opinion which is the driving the flock. Good thing / bad thing - really don't know

We are discussing this on a social site with one of the highest rate of moderation… It’s a decision of trust and nothing else.

>it seems like it is PR / consumer opinion which is the driving the flock.

Completely grassroots I'm sure ;)

"Big Tech" has exactly as much power as we give them. As long as we decide to stay on Facebook or Twitter or PayPal rather than embracing open and federated alternatives like ActivityPub and cryptocurrencies -- or at least smaller and more diverse alternatives -- then we are giving away freedom in the name of convenience, speed, or the dopamine hit of seeing who has liked our latest posts.

There's another discussion going on on the front page right now about cruise lines and how they bind you to specific terms and conditions as a prerequisite for taking their cruises. These terms and conditions are upheld by courts and somebody pointed out how it's laughable that courts continue to uphold the legal fiction that you enter into the binding agreements "fully willingly": while a cruise is one thing, being able to board a plane and operate a motor vehicle is part of being able to function as a citizen of the US.

Using the internet is increasingly becoming the same (if it hasn't already). And like it or not, these services - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - are the internet for most people. Refusing to use them when everybody around you is there is the digital equivalent of hiding in a shack in the middle of the woods.

Airlines have significant rules governing passenger behavior and speech. Vehicle ownership is subject to all sort of licensing and tracking, not to mention the volumes of traffic law you can be fined or even lose your license for violating.

I have some trouble seriously buying that last part. I understand if you're a small business owner or trying to become an influencer, but otherwise, my wife and I both don't use Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and it doesn't feel to me like living in the middle of the woods. We have normal jobs and interact with people, live in the dead center of a major city, maintaining functional, unimpeded lives. I don't feel particularly isolated, lonely, or out of the loop. The only major web service I've had to use is Venmo since there are quite a few contractors I've wanted to do business with that wouldn't take payment any other way.

This is nothing at all like boarding an airplane and driving a motor vehicle. Given I travel for work, our families both live out of state, and we're a foster family that has to be able to take children to appointments to maintain our licensing, we really do have no choice on those short of opting out of society.

> The only major web service I've had to use is Venmo since there are quite a few contractors I've wanted to do business with that wouldn't take payment any other way.

They won't even take cash?

On this:

> "If you go back to the Arab Spring and the Green Revolution there was generally a sense of triumphalism. Back then, the CEO of Twitter said that we are the free speech wing of the free speech party. That’s how Silicon Valley saw itself. Ten years later, you have the widespread view that Silicon Valley needs to restrict and regulate disinformation and prevent free speech on its platform."

The governmental alarm over the power of unregulated social media networks to influence political change really began with the Arab Spring. Basically, populist revolutions were seen by the US government as clearly good things in Libya, Iran, Syria - but as clearly bad things in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE. Egypt and Tunisia fell somewhere in the middle. This is just straight power-resource politics, it had nothing to do with 'promoting democratic reforms'.

For example, when Libyan tanks were rolling into Benghazi, NATO and the US began bombing Libya to 'defend democratic reforms' - but when Saudi tanks rolled into Bahrain to crush pro-democracy protests, the US and NATO looked the other way. A very good overview of what was happening behind the headlines is here:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2012/02/20/commentary/h...

Capitalism for me but not for thee.

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