Censorship - Facebook (& Other Social Media) Making a Huge Mistake on Political Content

5 62
Avatar for AntiSJWLeft
4 years ago

As many of you all know, sites like Facebook and YouTube have trending sections that are curated by the site. In the case of YouTube incredibly unpopular videos can get into trending - indicating that it is basically just videos selected by YouTube - while on Facebook the process tends to be slightly more organic, although still politically biased.

These measures almost never work as they are intended. They almost inevitably lead to mainstream (and important) political views being censored while some very odd things manage to seep through the cracks. Take the infamous censoring of Conservative voices on Facebook in 2016 (and likely earlier) through the present.

Numerous Conservative voices were barred from making it into the Trending section Facebook used to have. However, DURING THIS SAME TIME FACEBOOK ALLOWED RUSSIANS TO FUND ADS ON THEIR PLATFORM. These adds often appealed to Conservatives and aimed to help turn out the vote for Trump. This is a great example of one reason these suppression campaigns are so problematic - they often give people they sense that something is being done about real problems, while in reality those problems are unaddressed. One key danger with false "solutions" is that they lead people to assume that the whole problem has been taken care of.

So somehow, according to Facebook, normal or perhaps somewhat edgy Conservatives need to be hidden, but foreign ads that aim to interfere with US elections are fine. I wonder what could have possibly convinced Facebook to allow those ads...

As unfortunate as this situation is, it creates a great opportunity for crypto-based social media like Steemit, Publish0x, Minds, etc. Those of us, whether Left, Right, or something else, who want to be able to debate, convince other people, or learn from other people, are going to be pushed more and more towards such websites. This trend will make pro-freedom of speech crypto sites the intellectual battlegrounds of the future. This trend will make crypto social media crucial for the advancement of our society as a whole.

Most recently, YouTube and Twitter have been limiting the exposure of Conservatives on their platforms. Although the term "shadow-ban" may technically not be accurate, these platforms have definitely made a mistake by using algorithms to limit the exposure of these accounts. On occasion the sites have also banned important people with unpopular views.

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/43paqq/twitter-is-shadow-banning-prominent-republicans-like-the-rnc-chair-and-trump-jrs-spokesman

Of course, the sites use algorithms to do this. That is how the RNC chair and spokespeople for major US political figures get limited, while at times blatantly racist accounts are not. Algorithms are just hopelessly inaccurate and make absurd judgements that no normal human would make. Surely it hurts public discourse for the public not to be able to see many of these accounts. Even though I disagree with the right, discourse is important, and in order to understand what I am arguing against I need to be able to see what they are actually saying. Otherwise they will get to talk to undecided voters and convince people to join their ideology without resistance because I wont know how to argue against them since I will not have seen their arguments! On top of that, people will seek out things they aren't supposed to see. This will lead to a Streisand Effect. This whole process is ultimately counter-productive to the Left.

No algorithm will ever be successful in this task, so it is better for social media sites to not even try to censor people like this. It will always fail. It will always catch innocent people in an overly broad net and let genuinely horrible people though. Please just focus on making a good site, not dictating the views people can see. Good, well-informed, and intelligent arguments will naturally rise to the top. Let the marketplace of ideas work its magic!

32
$ 0.05
$ 0.05 from @The00Dustin
Sponsors of AntiSJWLeft
empty
empty
empty
Avatar for AntiSJWLeft
4 years ago

Comments

Social media somehow it’s poison as well

$ 0.00
4 years ago

I don't know that there are crypto social media. I agree, Facebook and YouTube has become a platforms for political agenda, must be because of its popularity.

$ 0.00
4 years ago

You're great thanks to telling us you are posting great content you are great my dear friend

$ 0.00
4 years ago

Nice article

$ 0.00
4 years ago

How the mentioned media act is for me typical for one big family which in this case has it's home in the USA and is also known as the Cabal. They rule the world and the only thing they like to achieve is world power, the end of democracy (real democracy doesn't even exist), and freedom for all.

Money doesn't stink, we say, so you take who ever pays you.

I doubt masa adoption of social media like Steemit, Hive, et cetera. All these platforms rule, ban people, look down on those with a different opinion, lifestyle, ideas. It is an illusion you can have intelligent discussions over there. They mainly attract people of certain classes, people who are bored, in need for money, not used to work from 7 till 7 and drive 2 hours up and down to work. People who never learned to think about the nearest future, save for it. Intelligent people will not stay for long unless they are able to find those who are like them. No matter what the birds of a feather will always flock together. 👍

$ 0.00
4 years ago