I'm sure they'll find a way to make a profit working with the system rather than against it.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_involved_in_...
What matters at the end of the day is that despite all the big talk of "freedom of speech" and "doing what's right", companies like Meta or YC almost always bend the knee (and the spine) and play ball to make money even if it contradicts everything they purportedly stood for. Just replace the motto.
You're putting YC into the same box as Meta? I'm probably very naive, but I think it's necessary to defend your users if your business model depends on them. What is YC's business model? It's "innovation". HN is a forum cultivated to encourage free exchange of disruptive ideas. That is not possible under conditions of technofascism. I expect the creators of this forum understand that, are worried, but have maybe convinced themselves it's safe to play along at ideology for now. If I thought there were not a significant cohort of humanist/anti-fascist technologists here I would not stay or contribute and I expect I speak for many others.
Only in the sense that their primary interest is making money and they'll do what it takes to keep making money, whether that's in education, crypto, social media, or the euphemistically called "defense" industry.
> I think it's necessary to defend your users if your business model depends on them
As a user of Big Tech I'm having a hard time coming up with too many situations when I was "defended" by them. Rather exploited just short of losing me (and occasionally past that).
> HN is a forum cultivated to encourage free exchange of disruptive ideas. That is not possible under conditions of technofascism.
HN is just a place for people to talk. The actions are where the checks are written, and that's YC. For YC the best bet is to keep playing ball and not endanger the money stream. Almost none of these companies are actively fighting what's going on now. They're trying to straddle the line between playing ball with the power while looking moral about it.
For the country of free speech, to have not even noticed a threat to a media company? How is America in a position to say anything to anyone?