Choosing to remove some speech -> be legally responsible for all content under platform?
That would be the same as a business owner who kicked out a drunkard is now legally responsible for any criminal activities performed within his store (or even, using his products.)
They 'choose to remove some speech' in the same way that major record labels 'choose to allow some speech'. They screen literally everything and only permit that which is politically neutral, favourable or profitable to them. They SHOULDN'T be legally responsible for anything which happens on the platform, if they were to treat all the content agnostically like a phone or mail institution would, but when they deliberately foster only certain flavours of speech then it makes sense that they become responsible for that which remains.
If AT&T were in the habit of cutting off your phone calls every time you insulted mohammed, I think it wouldn't be unreasonable that they be investigated further for any jihadattack that was successfully planned through their platform.
We've already established that they remove speech because they don't like it. That part we agree on.
How does it follow that they now own what speech remains?
I do think phone companies should have the option to remove customers for any reason. I would also financially support those companies' competitors, because this is a behavior I disagree with. Nevertheless, they should have that right. Just like private business owners should have the right to do or not do business with whomever they wish, hire or not hire anyone they wish, bake or not bake cakes, for any and no reason what so ever.
How does the logic follow that:
Choosing to remove some speech -> be legally responsible for all content under platform?
That would be the same as a business owner who kicked out a drunkard is now legally responsible for any criminal activities performed within his store (or even, using his products.)
Let's have a discussion.
They 'choose to remove some speech' in the same way that major record labels 'choose to allow some speech'. They screen literally everything and only permit that which is politically neutral, favourable or profitable to them. They SHOULDN'T be legally responsible for anything which happens on the platform, if they were to treat all the content agnostically like a phone or mail institution would, but when they deliberately foster only certain flavours of speech then it makes sense that they become responsible for that which remains.
If AT&T were in the habit of cutting off your phone calls every time you insulted mohammed, I think it wouldn't be unreasonable that they be investigated further for any jihadattack that was successfully planned through their platform.
We've already established that they remove speech because they don't like it. That part we agree on.
How does it follow that they now own what speech remains?
I do think phone companies should have the option to remove customers for any reason. I would also financially support those companies' competitors, because this is a behavior I disagree with. Nevertheless, they should have that right. Just like private business owners should have the right to do or not do business with whomever they wish, hire or not hire anyone they wish, bake or not bake cakes, for any and no reason what so ever.