What kind of freedom should tech companies have to ban users and apps?

Originally Posted by Stronk Serb

Only advertisements, when someone pays for online/TV/billboard space to advertise their stuff. Sports matches aren't censored that way.

So now a viral video of a player scoring a goal would get seen by everyone in the country. So even more people would see that company advertising without breaking that rule, than would have with the advertising youd stop. Then kids might want that teams shirt becoming walking billboards, posting there own pictures and videos in the shirt advertising the company even more

And would an advertisement created by that player for a uk market but viewed by Serbian subscribers to his social media be allowed. As it would be payed advertising but not targeted at that audience

Originally Posted by BJade

And would an advertisement created by that player for a uk market but viewed by Serbian subscribers to his social media be allowed. As it would be payed advertising but not targeted at that audience

Yes, it would be allowed here, and it is a topic for a different post about how easy it is to advertise vices like tobacco, alcohol and gambling.

Originally Posted by Stronk Serb

Yes, it would be allowed here, and it is a topic for a different post about how easy it is to advertise vices like tobacco, alcohol and gambling.

Yeah and also is something that is legal in one country, can be illegal in another. When would that become something that is either allowed or not when on social media and the general internet as it is global with no real borders

I think media companies should be able to defend their T&C and remove bad actors, e.g., Donald Trump, but I think a third-party mediator should be involved when a decision could result in deplatforming a company or its app from a global ecosystem. Most app developers don't have the power or resources to individually negotiate with Apple or Google about their T&C. Deplatforming can result in hundreds if not thousands of jobs lost.

Originally Posted by HeyCameron

If you've been following the news, you've seen that Trump has been banned from Twitter, apparently for inciting a riot and the fear that he would incite further violence. App stores (including Google and Apple) have also banned or threatened to ban Parler, a right-wing social media app.

I'm sure I've asked this question before, but I think it's time to address it again. Even if you agree that tech companies do have this freedom to ban people or apps (which they seem to, under the first amendment), do you think they should? Have social media sites become de facto public spaces? Does banning them only create the false sense that extremism has gone away (even if it's just being pushed further underground)?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

I think that at the end of the day they can do what they want. You've agreed to the terms and conditions, and it's their company. The use of them is so wide spread that it almost is a public place but I don't think anyone should be able to say to a company that they are going to make decisions for them and take away control.