Congress 'offended' by Facebook's censorship of Diamond and Silk

[240B]

Washington Examiner
by James Langford
April 11, 2018 02:28 PM

Mark Zuckerberg readily concedes that Facebook has made mistakes, and he counts the social media platform's initial blocking of posts from conservative commentators Diamond and Silk and an Easter ad from a Catholic university among them.

The incidents were among several instances that GOP lawmakers cited in a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday to question whether Facebook displays a liberal bias in its content decisions, following claims made by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas the day before.

While the consecutive hearings were convened to examine Facebook's privacy practices in the wake of revelations that a consultant for President Trump's 2016 presidential campaign had improperly accessed data for some 87 million users, lawmakers took advantage of the opportunity to address a variety of other concerns.

"We are deeply offended by the censoring of content inappropriately by Facebook," said Rep. Leonard Lance, a New Jersey Republican. "I would be offended if the censoring were occurring on the Left as well as the Right."

(more)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/business/congress-offended-by-facebooks-censorship-of-diamond-and-silk

[driftdiver]

Should we be surprised with fascists act like fascists?

[ABX]

It is none of Congress's business what a private business chooses to sell. Facebook decided D&S was a product they didn't want to promote. That's their right.

[ABX]

Should we be surprised with fascists act like fascists?

You are right. Congress is acting more and more like that every day- trying to big brother micro manage every including private businesses.

[truth_seeker]

Congress is discussing aspects pertaining to social media giants, which may touch on monopoly, use of public communication infrastructure, etc.

Historically the public utilities have been regulated, etc. Same for highways, railways, waterways, signal communications, etc.

Asking Zuck to be involved with such discussions is helpful.

What amazed me, was how fundamentally weak he seemed to be. The face of a 21st century gazillionairre.

[WingNot]

It is none of Congress's business what a private business chooses to sell. Facebook decided D&S was a product they didn't want to promote. That's their right.

But it is for the good of the people.   You know the simple folk.... The clay of the new millenia..the ones that hold us together. You know....Morons.

[Rivergirl]

It is none of Congress's business what a private business chooses to sell. Facebook decided D&S was a product they didn't want to promote. That's their right.

Not that they were banned but they were labelled NOT SAFE............what the he)) does that mean?

[240B]

Not that they were banned but they were labelled NOT SAFE............what the he)) does that mean?

As far as I know, as I have heard, they have been restored as they were before. Zuckerberg said it was 'a mistake'. lol If you can believe that. lol

Yea, it was a mistake alright. They did it deliberately and with full knowledge. The so called 'mistake' was the backlash they had to endure for doing it.

[Frank Cannon]

You are right. Congress is acting more and more like that every day- trying to big brother micro manage every including private businesses.

You just get out of a decades long coma? Govt' micromanagement of businesses has been going on for at least a century. Roosevelt's NRA, Nixon price controls, Congress going after Hughes to tank TWA, Bush bailouts. Getting your panties in a bunch over some congressman saying he didn't like people getting treated like shit on some social network is absurd in comparison to what has been going on through history. 

[Cyber Liberty]

It is none of Congress's business what a private business chooses to sell. Facebook decided D&S was a product they didn't want to promote. That's their right.

That train left the station a long time ago.  "Freedom of Association" went down the tubes with the 1960's era Civil Rights laws.  In the modern, now-a-go-go days, vendors are not allowed to "discriminate" in things like baking cakes, hiring photographers and renting venues for Black and Homosexual weddings, so FB can be forced to provide the same service to D&S as they do for Vox and Mother Jones.  Good for one, good for the others.

It ceased being "their right" to refuse a long time ago. 

[DB]

It is none of Congress's business what a private business chooses to sell. Facebook decided D&S was a product they didn't want to promote. That's their right.

Yes. As Cruz said, it was their first amendment right to do so. Just don't claim you're not blocking conservatives when you are.

[INVAR]

That train left the station a long time ago.  "Freedom of Association" went down the tubes with the 1960's era Civil Rights laws.  In the modern, now-a-go-go days, vendors are not allowed to "discriminate" in things like baking cakes, hiring photographers and renting venues for Black and Homosexual weddings, so FB can be forced to provide the same service to D&S as they do for Vox and Mother Jones.  Good for one, good for the others.

It ceased being "their right" to refuse a long time ago.

You don't get it.

The Left has every "right" to discriminate against Conservatives and Christians with the blessing of Congress and the courts all-the-day long.  You don't see Congress making a stink about censoring speech and beliefs on college campuses do you?

It is Christian Conservatives that have no right to refuse to serve the Left and their agenda and pet perversions.

Welcome to the brave new world Comrade.

A majority of the population is perfectly okay and fine with where we are headed.

So suck it up buttercup and maybe Big Brother will let you hold onto your home without reparations being assessed because of your skin color and voting history.

[240B]

There is no public business in America that has the right to refuse service based on race, religion, or creed. It simply can't be done without a lawsuit. The entire idea of a "private business" with "rights" is an idea out of the 1950s.

The only right to refuse service that is legally allowed in America today is when it is directed against White people, White Christians, and conservatives of any race. This is considered legal discrimination and it is exactly what Facebook is doing.

[RoosGirl]

Cutting off the Madams?  That's some censorship I'm down with.

[Cyber Liberty]

You don't get it.

The Left has every "right" to discriminate against Conservatives and Christians with the blessing of Congress and the courts all-the-day long.  You don't see Congress making a stink about censoring speech and beliefs on college campuses do you?

It is Christian Conservatives that have no right to refuse to serve the Left and their agenda and pet perversions.

Welcome to the brave new world Comrade.

A majority of the population is perfectly okay and fine with where we are headed.

So suck it up buttercup and maybe Big Brother will let you hold onto your home without reparations being assessed because of your skin color and voting history.

Oh, I get it.  There's also such a thing as holding them to their own standards, such as they are.  We have to at least try to do so.

[INVAR]

Oh, I get it.  There's also such a thing as holding them to their own standards, such as they are.  We have to at least try to do so.

Using government to force private businesses and institutions to conform to what a minority mob or a majority mob demands used to be something Conservatives were vehemently opposed to.

I guess it's true - we're all Socialists now, and we are okay with the imposition of either fascism or communism, depending on which team and political messiah people put into power.

[Cyber Liberty]

Using government to force private businesses and institutions to conform to what a minority mob or a majority mob demands used to be something Conservatives were vehemently opposed to.

I guess it's true - we're all Socialists now, and we are okay with the imposition of either fascism or communism, depending on which team and political messiah people put into power.

It sucks, but we have to play by the rules as they are.  If we don't, then we're just disarming in the face of an encroaching army, and we lose anyway but with all flags fying.  I'm all ears for any plan that doesn't do that.

[INVAR]

It sucks, but we have to play by the rules as they are.

I'm pretty sure that epitaph is written on the tombstones of the French and Weimar Republics.

[Cyber Liberty]

I'm pretty sure that epitaph is written on the tombstones of the French and Weimar Republics.

Never said there isn't a backup plan, boss....