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Censorship Should Concern Everyone
Corporate de-platforming is a threat to freedom and democracy
Should social media companies ban influencers for objectionable, false, or misleading content?
It’s a tough question. And it’s not just hypothetical. Numerous high-profile personalities have experienced the proverbial axe due to claims they have made or opinions they’ve expressed.
Democracy depends on the rule of law and the freedom of speech.
Healthy democracies balance the two with the understanding that the government of said society has a vested interest in protecting the lives of its citizens.
Accordingly, censorship is understandable when it’s aimed at fighting crime, preventing violence, or protecting children.
But with changes in technology and the evolving nature of the public square, we must also take into consideration the health, welfare, and safety of democracy itself.
To illustrate this need for balance, let’s take driving. Safety is not the highest value or consideration when it comes to setting speed limits. If it were, then cars would likely be banned altogether or the speed limit, even on highways, would be drastically reduced to the proverbial snail’s pace.
