Rigby5
Diamond Member
16. “Clarence Thomas blasts Section 230, wants “common-carrier” rules on Twitter
Thomas claims Twitter's "right to cut off speech" may be First Amendment problem.
"Much like with a communications utility, this concentration gives some digital platforms enormous control over speech," Thomas wrote. Google "can suppress content by deindexing or downlisting a search result or by steering users away from certain content by manually altering autocomplete results," while "Facebook and Twitter can greatly narrow a person's information flow through similar means."
Amazon, "as the distributor of the clear majority of e-books and about half of all physical books... can impose cataclysmic consequences on authors by, among other things, blocking a listing," he wrote.
Arguing that lawmakers could impose common-carrier rules on digital platforms, Thomas wrote, "The similarities between some digital platforms and common carriers or places of public accommodation may give legislators strong arguments for similarly regulating digital platforms."
"That is especially true because the space constraints on digital platforms are practically nonexistent (unlike on cable companies), so a regulation restricting a digital platform's right to exclude might not appreciably impede the platform from speaking," Thomas added. Thomas also wrote that his common-carrier analysis does not mean "that the First Amendment is irrelevant until a legislature imposes common-carrier or public-accommodation restrictions—only that the principal means for regulating digital platforms is through those methods."
Clarence Thomas blasts Section 230, wants “common-carrier” rules on Twitter
Clearly Thomas does not understand what a utility is. It is generally impractical to have competition with utilities because it is impractical. You cannot have multiple companies stringing utility wires or digging up streets. No tech companies need to do that so they are not utilities. If you don't like Google then there is Yahoo or Bing or other search engines. Facebook and Twitter are the same way. There are no barriers to entry to create your own version of Facebook or Twitter. Amazon has been a major innovator and that is why they are No 1.
Clarence Thomas is full of bull. There are no similarities between common carriers or public accomodations. This would be socialism and nothing else. The fact is that the barriers to entry are not very high. All you need is the internet. Clarence Thomas displays his ignorance or perhaps it is his fascist tendencies. He wants to impose his will on tech companies because a large number of people decide to use them.
Totally wrong.
Actually anything large and using the internet is a common carrier because it is bound by the FCC fair use regulations, but even if it was not, no one open to the public can discriminate based on politics.
That is no different or better than a lunch counter in Alabama refusing to serve Blacks.
The only way censoring would not be illegal is if they did not censor the person completely, but merely objected to the accuracy of specific things posted. The internet provided can censor posts that could be proven wrong, harmful, slander, or inciting violence.
That is all.
They can not pick and choose who they will or will not allow to use their site.