Twitter and Facebook Just Proved That Deplatforming Works by reaverfan

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Twitter and Facebook Just Proved That Deplatforming Works

POSTED BY: REAVERFAN
UPDATED: Sunday, November 3, 2024 13:47
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VIEWED: 1166
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Friday, January 22, 2021 1:49 PM

The peaceful protests on Inauguration Day show what happens when social media companies refuse to let white supremacists use them to organize and incite violence.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/twitter-facebook-free-speec
h/

What changed between January 6, when these people gathered in significant numbers to invade the Capitol, and January 20, when these people couldn’t maintain the intensity of John Cusak in Say Anything?

There are a lot of factors, but I would argue that the biggest one is that the social media companies took away their toys. One protester at the Texas state capitol in Austin even said so. Kaley Johnson, a reporter at the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, cited a man who said he “expected more people to be here, but was banned from Facebook so didn’t know if anything was planned.”

This is a truth that the social media companies have been denying all along in their attempts to justify making money off the forces that threaten democracy. Twitter and especially Facebook act like they are neutral platforms that are not responsible for the recruitment and aggregation of violent extremists. But we’ve seen report after report from experts in radicalization who have exposed how social media platforms are tools that are used to coordinate violence.

January 20 is what happens when these platforms take even minimal steps to block violent extremists from their services. After the Capitol siege, Facebook finally decided to ban QAnon accounts. It didn’t even ban that many accounts: Reports suggest it restricted around 2,000 Facebook groups and around 10,000 Instagram accounts, barely a dent in its overall user base. Yet, scarcely two weeks after removing some of the most obvious bad users, the “violent insurrectionists” are already reduced to a couple of randos milling around state capitols with arts-and-crafts projects, wondering where the party went.

Facebook and Twitter also removed the most notorious bad user: Trump. The last 10 days have been blissfully void of his inane complaints about the election and terrifying love notes to white supremacists.

And look what’s happened. The New York Times reports that the Proud Boys, who pledged themselves to “Emperor Trump” not three months ago, are now calling him a “total failure.” Removing Trump from his Twitter account for only two weeks has already helped to cause a rift between the militant forces of white supremacy and the head of the Republican Party.

I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the results of the election, five people would not have died in a riot at the Capitol. I will also believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands of people might have been saved from this disease. And I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about Barack Obama’s nation of birth, he would never have been president in the first place.

That tells us a lot more about Twitter and the social media universe that distorts reality than it does about Trump. After all, it’s not like the man was “silenced.” It’s not like he, or anybody else who had their accounts blocked in the wake of January 6, were stripped of their First Amendment rights. Indeed, to me, the most beautiful thing about these state capitol protests around the inauguration was not the schadenfreude but how those protests proved that the First Amendment is alive and well, and people who exercise their rights pose no real threat to free elections or democratic self-government.

One guy showed up at the state capitol in Idaho holding up a sign that read, “Legalize Arson.” He was not, to my knowledge, arrested or harmed by the government. In Georgia, two people were spied holding a sign that said, “I Hate My Government.” No constitutional crisis ensued. A guy in North Carolina had a sign calling the new president an “imposter.” Another man, in Washington, brandished a sign calling him a “traitor.” No Tomahawk missiles were sent to their locations.

That’s the First Amendment in action, folks, and it’s a beautiful thing. It is wonderful to live in a country where you can walk up to the seat of the government, scream “I hate you” for a few hours, and return home, safely, in time for supper. The people who object to the state have every right to voice their objections. The right to peaceably assemble must not be abridged by the government.

But what we’re not going to do is collapse the difference between the government’s criminalizing political speech (which it cannot do) and private companies’ banning violent extremists from their services (which they should have done already). What we’re not going to do is require private companies to give a platform to Republican elected officials so those officials can give aid, comfort, and legitimacy to those violent extremists. What we’re certainly not going to do is let people who are literally talking into a cable news microphone whine about being “silenced.” The First Amendment was not created so Republicans with presidential ambitions could play footsie with extremists while maintaining plausible deniability. If Republicans want to freely associate with these people, go, associate, and let everybody know what you’re doing. Nobody will stop you. Just don’t come crying to Twitter because it’s harder to slide into its DMs.

What stopped the Proud Boys, banned from social media, from showing up in-person at state capitols? What stopped the Congressional Seditionist Caucus from protesting alongside their people on Inauguration Day, instead of participating in the ceremony inaugurating a new president they’ve spent two months claiming is illegitimate? What stopped Trump from holding a press conference, in the room in his old house that was designed for such a thing, after he was banned from Twitter? Twitter only went live in 2006. How do all these people think protests were organized in 2005? Do these white wing nuts think Paul Revere came home one night and said, “Honey, I’ve been deplatformed. Nobody will sell me a saddle. Curse you, King George, you mad, brilliant bastard.”

Nah, the people who tried to rebel against the government on January 6 had the same suite of First Amendment protections that were available to them on January 20. What they lost over the intervening two weeks was courage. And nerve. And the false sense of importance generated by spending their lives in an online echo chamber. It’s not “fun” plotting the violent overthrow of the government when nobody can “like” your rebellion. It’s not “cool” to share baseless online conspiracies when your employer fires you the next day. It’s not “strong” to share memes about harming elected officials when it gets you kicked off the force.

These people will be back, of course, because social media companies have a business incentive to bring them back. The platforms want to create echo chambers and news silos where extremists feel “safe” and can have their worldviews confirmed by the wisdom of the like-minded crowd. Telling people “you’re right” keeps them glued to the screen, sharing their information and seeing advertisements. Telling people “you’re a crazy nut job” makes them feel “sad” and put down their phones. I do not believe people like Mark Zuckerberg or Jack Dorsey have learned anything from the insurrection they helped foment that will prevent them from making the same mistakes in the future. Even if they have, there will always be another tech bro eager to grab the “underserved” white-supremacist market share.

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Friday, January 22, 2021 2:05 PM

REAVERFAN

WHY WON'T FOX CELEBRATE AMERICA?

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Friday, January 22, 2021 2:19 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Twitter and Facebook Just Proved That Deplatforming Works

Nobody is going to argue that censorship works short term.

Keep it up and see what happens.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.

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Friday, January 22, 2021 6:44 PM

WISHIMAY

"I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the results of the election, five people would not have died in a riot at the Capitol. I will also believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands of people might have been saved from this disease. And I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about Barack Obama’s nation of birth, he would never have been president in the first place."

YOU GONNA START SOMETHING 6ix?? Smoke signals from the roof maybe??

It's ALLL Chumps fault and you are to dumb to see it. If he hadn't lied over and over and over again, Rethuglicans would still be crawling on the interwebs.

Chump did the intelligent parts of the world a YUUUGE favor, I guess

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Friday, January 22, 2021 7:35 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

If the news would just give us information based on IMPORTANCE, COMPLETENESS, AND ACCURACY, I'm sure people would start paying attention, again. As it is, it's nothing more than propaganda. No wonder people turn to alternate 'sources'.

Every bit of news treats us like we're simpletons, unable to understand a complicated and nuanced reality. And that we need to have our thoughts guided with simple stories and real-sounding factoids (without evidence) told to us by sincere-faced news-actors and instant experts and tptb mouthpieces.

THO I GUARANTEE ALL THIS THEATER TO GUIDE US FOR OUR OWN GOOD. I'M SURE OF IT. /sarcasm

And so reading a simple news article or watching a news show is like writing a fucking PhD dissertation, where I have to track down every original research paper or project report or 'source' background just to try to figure out what the fuck is going on with any particular presentation.

What an obvious crock they're shoveling at us, from all directions.

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Friday, January 22, 2021 8:04 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

REAVERBOT attributes to censorship what was actually accomplished by military occupation.

But he's in favor of both!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

THUGR posts about Putin so much, he must be in love.

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Friday, January 22, 2021 9:39 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by WISHIMAY:
YOU GONNA START SOMETHING 6ix??

Not me. I ain't going to throw the first stone. I've got way too much to lose and a relatively easy life I set myself up with.

Haken allows me to use the RWED as my political toilet to purge my thoughts for now, and I'm sure there's 10,000 other low-profile websites that aren't Twitter where I could do that if the signal ever stopped here.

I've got plenty of things to keep me busy.

But the next four years when you're pretending that everybody is loving what's going on because anybody who doesn't agree that things are great now that Biden* is president, just remember that half the country voted against him, and you have no idea what they're thinking anymore because you silenced them.

Sweet dreams, Princess.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 2:34 AM

WISHIMAY

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:

If the news would just give us information based on IMPORTANCE, COMPLETENESS, AND ACCURACY, I'm sure people would start paying attention, again. As it is, it's nothing more than propaganda. No wonder people turn to alternate 'sources'.

Propaganda machine whines about propaganda, then tries to justify Qanon

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 2:40 AM

WISHIMAY

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
... just remember that half the country voted against him, and you have no idea what they're thinking anymore because you silenced them.

I already know how Gullibullz think. It's not too hard.

Just add 25% paranoia, 25% inability to be logical, 24% willingness to follow whatever crass racist piece of crap presents itself, and 25% whiny toddler behavior.
Oh, and 1% willingness to shoot anything that moves, even children.

That was easy!

G' night!

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 3:04 AM

REAVERFAN

Quote:
Originally posted by WISHIMAY:
"I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the results of the election, five people would not have died in a riot at the Capitol. I will also believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about the coronavirus, hundreds of thousands of people might have been saved from this disease. And I will always believe that if Twitter had banned Trump’s account the moment he started lying about Barack Obama’s nation of birth, he would never have been president in the first place."

YOU GONNA START SOMETHING 6ix?? Smoke signals from the roof maybe??

It's ALLL Chumps fault and you are to dumb to see it. If he hadn't lied over and over and over again, Rethuglicans would still be crawling on the interwebs.

Chump did the intelligent parts of the world a YUUUGE favor, I guess

This. ^

You can't reason with the unreasonable.

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 3:06 AM

REAVERFAN

Quote:
Originally posted by WISHIMAY:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
... just remember that half the country voted against him, and you have no idea what they're thinking anymore because you silenced them.

I already know how Gullibullz think. It's not too hard.

Just add 25% paranoia, 25% inability to be logical, 24% willingness to follow whatever crass racist piece of crap presents itself, and 25% whiny toddler behavior.
Oh, and 1% willingness to shoot anything that moves, even children.

That was easy!

G' night!

I dare say, I think you've got it, my friend!

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 3:10 AM

REAVERFAN

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
REAVERBOT attributes to censorship what was actually accomplished by military occupation.

But he's in favor of both!

And you wonder why everyone knows you're a Russian troll.

You show us constantly.

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 3:34 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

Quote:
Just add 25% paranoia, 25% inability to be logical, 24% willingness to follow whatever crass racist piece of crap presents itself, and 25% whiny toddler behavior.
Oh, and 1% willingness to shoot anything that moves, even children.

That was easy!

G' night!

Quote:
I dare say, I think you've got it, my friend!

Yeah, she sure DOES have a case of it!!

Quote:
I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.

It really IS better to die on your feet than live for a second on your knees!

As long as WISHI gets to decide, of course.

Quote:
Savin' the planet from fascists and prudes? Totally worth it

Now, with an extra dose or PRUDES! (would that be another 75 off her little group of 100?) ...

Quote:
At least I left a hundred people

... but explaining how leaving 100 was really, really generous of her.

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Saturday, January 23, 2021 9:59 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

I'd ask everybody to take a moment to think what would Nilbog's family have to go through if she tried to log in to FFF.net today and found out that she was banned because of her hateful and violent speech that she puts on display here everyday.

This is obviously a great tool for her to blow off some steam. And she gets plenty of good people here that she can make up stories about so she can exorcise her demons on them every day she needs to.

But take that away from her, and where does all that rage go? We wouldn't know the answer to that question. We would have been "protected" from it.

It doesn't just go away. It finds another outlet. Maybe it simmers under the surface for a few days, or weeks, or even months.

But then it ends up with Nilly putting arsenic in her husband's and daughter's Corn Flakes before she drives her car off a cliff.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.

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Sunday, January 24, 2021 12:59 AM

REAVERFAN

Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'd ask everybody to take a moment to think what would Nilbog's family have to go through if she tried to log in to FFF.net today and found out that she was banned because of her hateful and violent speech that she puts on display here everyday.

This is obviously a great tool for her to blow off some steam. And she gets plenty of good people here that she can make up stories about so she can exorcise her demons on them every day she needs to.

But take that away from her, and where does all that rage go? We wouldn't know the answer to that question. We would have been "protected" from it.

It doesn't just go away. It finds another outlet. Maybe it simmers under the surface for a few days, or weeks, or even months.

But then it ends up with Nilly putting arsenic in her husband's and daughter's Corn Flakes before she drives her car off a cliff.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.

It's way past time for you to off yourself.

Just do it. Be a man. Remove your biggest obstacle.

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Sunday, January 24, 2021 1:02 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by reaverfan:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
I'd ask everybody to take a moment to think what would Nilbog's family have to go through if she tried to log in to FFF.net today and found out that she was banned because of her hateful and violent speech that she puts on display here everyday.

This is obviously a great tool for her to blow off some steam. And she gets plenty of good people here that she can make up stories about so she can exorcise her demons on them every day she needs to.

But take that away from her, and where does all that rage go? We wouldn't know the answer to that question. We would have been "protected" from it.

It doesn't just go away. It finds another outlet. Maybe it simmers under the surface for a few days, or weeks, or even months.

But then it ends up with Nilly putting arsenic in her husband's and daughter's Corn Flakes before she drives her car off a cliff.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.
It's way past time for you to off yourself.

Just do it. Be a man. Remove your biggest obstacle.

Sweet. That's three archived tonight.

You are not the good guy.

--------------------------------------------------

A government is a body of people usually, notably, governed by Mark Zuckerborg and Slack Dorsey.

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Sunday, August 15, 2021 5:24 PM

JAYNEZTOWN

the Taliban are on Twitter
but Trump isn't

https://gab.com/JohnRivers/posts/106760901855022644

Trump says he is suing Facebook, Twitter and Google, claiming bias
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/trump-says-he-suing-facebook-
twitter-and-google-claiming-bias-1986401

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Sunday, August 15, 2021 5:28 PM

DREAMTROVE

So the Jan 6th protests were peaceful protests
The Antifa and Qanon (two brand names of the same CIA psyop team) were the ones who caused cRaZy cHaOs™ with Police approval and back caught on tape

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Sunday, August 15, 2021 5:33 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Don't bother asking Reaverfan.

I got him banned after archiving and continuing to repost the links to every instance where the threatened people or told them to kill themselves, many times offering suggestions on how to do it in graphic detail.

I believe we were somewhere around 60 times that I caught.

Leftist, soy-stuffed, wackjobs aren't happy people.

I also managed to get nearly everybody here to give me their IP address too.

--------------------------------------------------

Vaccinated People: "You need to get muh vaccination shots that don't work because I got muh vaccination shots that don't work and I'm afraid of people that didn't get muh vaccination shots that don't work because muh vaccination shots that don't work don't work."

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Sunday, November 3, 2024 1:47 PM

JAYNEZTOWN

Trump’s Truth Social now worth more than Musk’s X

https://www.rsbnetwork.com/news/trumps-truth-social-now-worth-more-tha
n-musks-x/

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