If it wasn't apparent before, big tech, the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Google have become a law unto themselves when it comes to freedom of speech.
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“People say they want freedom, but what they really want is freedom from worry. If I take care of their problems, they don’t mind being told what to do.”
— Patrick Ness
Shocker!
For a while now people have been aware of the obvious attempts at censorship especially of anything to do with alternative platforms especially on Twitter. Shadowbanning of Leofinance and 3Speak links has been going on for a while now, something that I consider to be quite bizarre.
However, seeing Donald Trump continue to be censored even before the 2020 election, made me realize that what we are seeing is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Forward to 2021, Donald Trump has had his Twitter account permanently suspended. His Facebook account has also been permanently banned.
Now, I know most people probably don't care about the social media bans. They are probably celebrating the bans.
To them I would say, put yourself in his shoes.
Let's say it was Biden or Obama getting permabanned on Twitter. Would you be celebrating it or would you be questioning the undue influence of big tech on the politics of your country?
To put this more into perspective, Parler, a privacy microblogging app, has been taken down on Google Play and is also facing an Apple Store ban in the coming days because the 'undesirables' have found a home there.
These are things you would expect to see in a despotic nation let alone a country that prides itself as the herald of free speech and democracy.
I am reminded of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal in which Facebook was involved. Their acting high and mighty at the moment disgusts me further.
Facebook's recent move was infringing on the privacy of WhatsApp users with their latest Privacy Policy and Terms of Service changes that allow them to share data with Facebook and possibly other companies for personalized ads targeting.
Somewhere on Facebook's servers, lies your specific profile built on mined data from your smartphone activities which other companies could retrospectively purchase so they can market products to you.
How did it ever get to this point!