Texas governor signs bill prohibiting social media giants from blocking users based on viewpoint

The authoritarian hammer drops again. What is it about these "conservatives" who believe the government should be in charge of making policy for private corporations. They play the victim card and put "conservatives" on a protected class list.

Folks, there is NOTHING conservative about this kind of government intrusion. They insist on using these companies resources to spread propaganda, and then they create laws which prohibit the companies from enforcing their corporate policies. They did the same thing using Covid as an excuse, and now this. What the heck is going on?

Texas governor signs bill prohibiting social media giants from blocking users based on viewpoint
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/t...sers-based-on-viewpoint/ar-AAOgWvJ?li=BBnb7Kz
“It is now law that conservative viewpoints in Texas cannot be banned on social media,” Abbott said. Conservatives have long claimed without evidence that Silicon Valley social media companies are censoring them based on their political affiliation. The companies deny those accusations.

Abbott’s signature follows a similar effort in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a law that would bar social media companies from suspending political candidates in the run-up to elections, and make it easier for the Florida state attorney general and individuals to bring lawsuits when they think tech companies have acted unfairly. A federal judge in June blocked that law from taking effect, suggesting it would be found unconstitutional after tech industry groups brought a challenge. DeSantis’s administration appealed the judge’s ruling.

 

About time. The online thought brokers just got another wake up call.

 

Amazing. It was long ago that you could say pretty much anything you wanted whenever you wanted. The thought that this right is disappearing is very scary. <Mod Edit>

 

You mean its time to get government involved in dictating corporate policies of private companies.......?

Seriously?

That is very authoritarian way of thinking, but not surprising given your posting history.

Mainstream Republicans love three things:
1. Rave against social media
2. Use the social media
3. Use the government to create laws to make them immune against moderation

 

Yes, it's nice to see a few leaders of conscience stand up to Big Tech.

Abbott and DeSantis are doing the right thing.

 

Yes, there was a time when posting X-Rated porn would have been OK on a platform like this one. It was also ok to use profanities and threaten people with violence.

Private companies should be able to decide what they allow, or don't allow. We do NOT need the government to tell them how to run their business. You don't agree with that, so you support authoritarian laws.

Some sites have tried to open social media for conservatives and they were advertises as "mod free". It didn't take long for radical islamists to start posting videos of beheadings and other nonsense there. They didn't stay "mod free" for long. Should the government step in and mandate the company should continue to allow it?

If you think government overreach is the "right thing" then you are eight. I disagree. I believe in small government.

 

I saw you jumping up and down on another thread praising mandatory covid shots. You seem to have some consistency errors.

But here's the fine print here. Government involves themselves liberally already, do they not? The idea that somehow you believe that thought policing on the greatest free speech platforms on the planet being dictated by three or four billionaires seems ludicrous.

What is authoritarian, is that you believe in those three or four billionaire's divine right to throttle and dictate the conversation. The fact you cannot see it? Priceless.

 

It was? I could go to your auditorium and demand the use of your public address system to promulgate my opinion that all conservatives should be jailed forever? Good to know.

If you don't like what Facebook is letting you say FOUND YOUR OWN, You might make a billion dollars, wouldn't that be nice?

 

So many liberals are quick to support laws that prevent sexual harrassment (I do too), but they fully support the absurd idea that it is perfectly legal and moral for an employer to order employees to take a toxic clot shot.

 

Mandatory? No, that is simply not true. Please don't make stuff up.

You wanting the government involved in dictating policies for private companies is authoritarian. That is an indisputable fact. Besides, no one is banned simply for being conservative. When I go to Facebook, all I see is ads and right wing politics, because most people in my friend list are right wing. They have rules against propaganda and fake news about Covid. So, these people knowingly violate the rules, and then they cry and whine and insist their post was deleted because they are conservatives. Such victim mentality makes me ill.

If they don't like the rules, why do they insist on using the platform? Its absurd. Its like saying you hate Publix (grocery store) and yet that's the only place you ever shop.

These people need to grow the heck up, and stop looking for government to twist the arms of private companies to accommodate their BS.

 

This nothing to do with the topic, but again, - the companies have the right to make their own policy.

My company, which operates out of Texas (I am remote), just mandated Covid shots. Those who don't like it, can look for another job.

 

so Republicans want to dictate how free websites can run their sites

does that mean Christian sites now have to support Muslim viewpoints and can't ban people and visa vera

 

Yes, it's the government's job to protect our freedoms. Good for Gov. Abbott!

Actually, Fox does give time to present liberal viewpoints too. Not "equal" time, as they are a conservative leaning network. They make no secret of that. But they have many panel discussions with a liberal commentator too, such as Juan Williams and more. They also often have a conservative and a liberal discussing a subject.

 

You said it was long ago that you could say pretty much anything you wanted whenever you wanted. So, I gave you examples of what people used to post, and porn was common. Slimy pictures, and slimy jokes were a daily occurrence as was the use of profanity. It was unpleasant, and I'm glad its not allowed in this forum either. I probably would not stick around if it was.

Except......that they cannot post anything they want. They are banned for violating the rules like everyone else. I've had left leaning friends banned from Facebook when they violate the rules.

Well, that is simply NOT true. I find Facebook a waste of time due to all the right wing political crap people post there all day long. Some of the retired right wingers can post 20 such posts every day. They have been doing it for years, and none have been banned.

Please don't make stuff up, because that does not help your case.

 

The government.. the Federal government.. is colluding with the social media giants to ban, obscure and hide any information they deem .. well.. what ever they "feel" like banning.. there is your authoritarianism.. It's not Th eGovernor of Texas Gregg Abbot.. he is doing his best to keep the Biden Dictatorship at bay

 

You have a freedom to use other people's resourced to push propaganda, and its the governments job to make sure of it? How do you figure?

Really? Man, you guys really are socialists/Marxists. A Marxist would want to use the government to make private property public property.

Does the Antifa have the freedom to stage an event on your front yard?

 

You have it upside down. Abbott & DeSantis are dictating corporate rules, and you are all for it.

 

Absolutely within there pervue and neccessary considering the manipulation being done by Zucker dorsey and the rest of big tech... ever heard of the laws against monoplies? so yeah.. I'm all for the Governors riegning is the awesome power of those companies and styming the monoplies they exercise over social media.

 

You simply don't seem to understand the conversation. Government precluding private industry to discriminate against political adversaries isn't any different from them not allowing banks to discriminate on who they provide loans to. Give it a rest. You really don't understand the conversation.

 

So authoritarian Republicans want to use their authoritarian powers to further their political goals i.e. perpetuate their party's political power, by mandating what content private companies can choose to publish(based on their own published rules).

Publishing content costs money. Republicans are now stealing content space using their authoritarian political power.

 

So, what’s the problem?

 

You push for marxism and don't even know it. You guys have been swindled like no-one even before.

Good luck and all.

 

Would it be called "Big Tech" if it was just one company aka a monopoly? You know better than that. Or......mayb you don't......

 

Your preoccupation about porn is indicative that you have "issues". NO ONE.... NO ONE is talking about porn here... NO ONE. And yet that's all you talk about. This discussion is about how the big tech companies stifle conservative comments and discussion.Heck, they all cancelled Trump's accounts. Imagine if the did that to Bn? And Trump never killed 13 Soldiers in Afghanistan, never abandoned hundreds of American Soldiers to the murderous Taliban, never gave terrorists billions of our best weaponry, never opened the border to anyone who wanted in, including MS13, terrorists, etc, never had inflation going through the roof, never had human traffickers flown into our country at citizen expense, never forced anyone to take medication they didn't want, never forced kids to wear masks, never closed businesses due to a virus, never had folks quitting the military in disgust, never forced racist interrogation in our schools... no... he never did any of that. But because he isn't a radical left wing socialist that forces GoreBull Warming policies on us, he gets his social media accounts cancelled by the big tech that runs them. Not legally by act of Congress. by political left wing radical hacks.

 

It has everything to do with what you said about people in the past posting everything they wanted. Why is it offensive to you when I offer some examples of what an unmoderated board looks like? Now we have conservative social media dealing with terrorists posting beheadings in their site, but I suppose that's just free speech too, and the government should make sure they can keep posting such nonsense.

Its about Texas and Florida Government creating laws to dictate how private companies must run themselves so that their party representatives would be immune from TOS.

Multiple blatant violations of the rules will get you canceled.

Sure. If he did the same he'd get banned too, but I don't see him violating the rules. As a matter I don't see him trolling in the social media at all.

You cheer for marxist State governments dictating private companies how they should run their business. You can do your chicken dance all day long, but that it what it is.