In the earlier days, the internet functioned as a free speech communication. It made it possible to circumvent the control of the corporate, and wealth controlled media. An alternative source of information, it was and still is supposed to be a soapbox. It was a place where our letters, or any correspondence was private, not to be exploited by outside entities. It was supposed to be a place where our library cards, or browsing histories were our own private links and possessions. All of these have been used for political influence in other times to build cases in retro, to gather evidence, without warrant, to control and intimidate.
I'd like to see the internet, its providers and platforms governed by the same law and considerations as government entities. They make our personal exchanges public and the gov gets it anyway, they keep the info, store the info, sneak in and read my mail and then exploit it. They intimidate my free expression, because it may show up twenty years down the line and affect my activities then. My choice of presentation is negated. That is censorship, too. I have a right to self censorship and a responsibility to be honest.
The phone company and postal service aren't supposed to censor and exploit. These new networks need to be subjected to the same standards. They are as broad as the government entities, they have the same influence, the same power, they compete with government entities and now regulated monopolies, too. The FCC gave them a way to profit at our expense. It is all dangerous.
We have recourse to the government and where we no longer do, we should take back. We don't have recourse to these corporate and private entries. Self restriction to a media isn't an answer, when nearly the whole of the public is participating on these communication vehicles. If we chose to not participate, we our free voice is cut off.
Along the line, entities have learned to exploit information, publishing fake stuff, creating alarm, lying to people, slandering people. I don't know how to fix that except to teach people about reliable resources, science, peer review, and to think for themselves in school and as a human responsibility that they must take on.
It is hard to discern what is what , when these entities channel our information with algorithms and I have a hard time reading right wing opinion, because I'm being channeled by the system into left wing. I have been watching anti Trump comedians and so been channeled into much anti Trump. For example, just watch how youtube channels if you go from lead to lead as they "enhance your experience."
When I try to talk to my more rightwing friends they are experiencing the same thing from the other end. They have no clue where my opinions come from. Then fake sauce is being peppered into their info. I can't effectively understand other people, people on the other side of the spectrum, if a corporate entity is choosing my friends and where I go and what I read. There is bias and no trust.
Peter S., John P. and Bob, Looks like I agree and disagree with each of you, by my wandering weave of a response.
We have an increasing and already damaging polarization in this country and it is exacerbated by censorship. It is the same with issues of nudity. You get channeled into porn. You get equated with sex by ignorant, or pandering sources of exploitative info. Your point of view is buried in soundbites and sexual exploitation, channeling, censorship, and profit driven motives.
Jbee
