# Are social media's recent bannings a freedom of expression issue?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-social-medias-recent-bannings-a-freedom-of-expression-issue/930330>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 12, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-social-medias-recent-bannings-a-freedom-of-expression-issue/930330 "2021-01-12T14:56:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 313

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**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-social-medias-recent-bannings-a-freedom-of-expression-issue/930330/313 "2021-01-18T00:06:12Z")

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> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> Apparently jobs that require a pretty high level security clearance. The kind of jobs where they will also interview your family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and anyone else that you have come into contact with in the last decade or so.

No, it’s for jobs like teacher or childminder or doctor. They are not going to be interviewing your friends and hearing about quarrels with your neighbours, that’s beyond absurd. They might search your social media, but if there are obvious red flags then that’s your own fault. I don’t think the police have any business recording non-crimes and potentially reporting them to future employers with no recourse for the individual concerned.

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> It also has _nothing_ to do with social media TOS and their implementation thereof, and is entirely to do with a desire to never see _any_ consequence for the actions that you take.

I never said it did. It was a reply to a different question, and no it isn’t a desire to never see any consequences. It’s a desire to have the same protection _you_ enjoy from the 1st amendment.

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> That’s a horrible analogy, that doesn’t work on any level, for any reason, whatsoever.

Perhaps you could make an argument as to why it doesn’t work rather than merely stating it?

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> Let me ask you, if someone sends me a chain letter, and I don’t pass it on to 6 of my friends, am I deplatforming them? If you answer that, then I’ll have a better idea as to where you are coming from.

Of course not, but you already knew that. The SDMB banning you does not deplatform you either. It is only when one platform dominates the conversation, or a few do but all push the same message, that it becomes an issue. The same thing can happen if one company owns too many media outlets - the owner gets to choose what information other people are exposed to and the slant it is given.

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> > [@DemonTree](#):
> >
> > Hence me asking if he objects to the government suppressing speech but not punishing you for it.
> 
> Either.

So hypothetically, _if_ the government deplatformed you, but didn’t punish you for your speech, would that be a problem or totally fine?

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