I have noticed for many months now both Liberal and Conservative commentators but more the Conservatives complaining that Twitter is doing more than just finding “fake accounts” – MUCH MORE! Twitter has taken upon itself to create it’s own unilateral definition of the phrase “hate speech”. Furthermore; they have determined to
- Not publish what is their CHANGING definition of offensive “hate speech”.
- Threatening, Restricting, Coercing and then Banning – users who Twitter staff determine are using “Twitter” defined offensive language, which Twitter will not tell you in advance what they consider offensive. They do this in post inform mode – AFTER YOU ARE RESTRICTED or PERMANENTLY BANNED!
- Whence banned, Twitter without any oversight or regulatory guidance unilaterally and very simply says adios dude and don’t ever come back.
- Twitter NEVER tells you what they did not like – even if you ask them!
If Twitter space as it were was just a bunch of us private people talking to one another well then I might buy into what is their primary argument – it’s Twitter’s domain and as a private entity, Twitter can do what they want to. Unfortunately it is NOT just We the Commoners chit-chatting, not at all! Here is the grave problem for We the People.
ALL OUR ELECTED AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE USING TWITTER for first and often single point of communicating with We the People. This especially includes the President of the United States, his Vice President, his administration, the US Senate, and the US House! Most State and local officials, elected and government agencies follow suit!
What does this mean to We?
- It means that if Twitter decides you are not worthy of using their platform – you lose complete access to ALL OUR ELECTED and ALL GOVERNMENT critical and important communication single sourced on Twitter!
- It means Twitter has isolated some of We the People, those they determine are not worthy – from having equal access to Our government and Our elected!
These are our most important Federal elected and guess what? Twitter is regulating how or even IF we can communicate with or hear from all these. This Twitter practice is heinous and dangerous censorship against We the People! If Twitter wants to control communication between We the People and Our elected, they need to be compelled, required and regulated by US Freedom of Speech laws and regulations directly, which should include
NO UNILATERAL BANNING OF ANY US CITIZEN’S COMMUNICATIONS WITH ANY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE IN GOVERNMENT OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY!
An alternative would be to turn Twitter back into the private space they claim it is by requiring that ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS and ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CEASE USING TWITTER. A new public space must be created for these so that all communication from We the People is received or arrives unfettered and unhampered by any censoring company – Twitter!
Forbes weighs in on Twitter and Free Speech issues