J.P. Messina, author of 'Private Censorship', discusses private censorship in liberal society with topics such as regulating speech at work, on social media platforms, and search engines. The debate on social media and ISPs being public utilities and defining illiberalism outside of government censorship is also explored.
Private institutions have the freedom to restrict speech, prompting debates on private censorship.
Challenges of content moderation on social media platforms highlight the need for clear rules and non-discriminatory enforcement.
Distinguishing social media platforms as expressive forums from ISPs as infrastructure providers raises ethical concerns on speech control and competition.
Deep dives
Ethical Dilemmas in Private Censorship
Private institutions have the freedom to restrict speech, leading to concerns about private censorship. The podcast delves into the complexities of private organizations enforcing speech restrictions, especially in social media, workplaces, and by large corporations. The debate revolves around differentiating between government censorship and private censorship, questioning the value of encouraging free speech norms within private entities.
Challenges of Defining and Upholding Content Moderation
The discussion extends to the challenges of content moderation on social media platforms. Issues like vague and inconsistent rules, viewpoint discrimination, lack of transparency, and opaque enforcement procedures are highlighted. Users' rights on platforms are explored, emphasizing the need for clear rules, due process, and non-discriminatory content control. The significance of defining free speech principles on different platforms is underscored.
Dynamics of Private Platforms as Public Utilities
The podcast examines the role of private platforms as public utilities, drawing distinctions between social media platforms and internet service providers (ISPs). While social media sites are deemed expressive forums with community standards, ISPs are viewed as infrastructure providers without inherent speech curation. The ethical considerations around ISPs denying website hosting and the risks of government influence in content moderation are analyzed. The importance of preserving a competitive landscape and protecting free association rights on different platforms is emphasized.
Consequences of Private Censorship
Private censorship, exemplified by social media platforms burying controversial content or restricting speech, presents severe consequences such as loss of social connections, livelihood, and reputation equivalent to or worse than criminal sanctions. Unlike criminal cases where redemption is possible, private censorship lacks mechanisms for reintegrating individuals into society post-incident, perpetuating a lasting impact on personal and professional lives.
Challenges in Upholding Free Speech Norms
Navigating a culture of free speech involves grappling with the absence of clear boundaries in private context, contrasting with government censorship. Despite varying interests influencing private censorship, institutions should uphold liberal values and resist pressures to stifle free expression. Issues like cancel culture reflect the evolving landscape of free speech influenced by social media dynamics, challenging individuals and organizations to distinguish between criticism, persuasion, and coercive measures in societal discourse.
The First Amendment forbids government censorship. Private institutions, on the other hand, are generally free to restrict speech.
How should we think about private censorship and its role within a liberal society?
On today’s episode, we’re joined by J.P. Messina, an assistant professor in the philosophy department at Purdue University and the author of the new book, “Private Censorship.”
Also on the show is Aaron Terr, FIRE’s director of public advocacy.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
3:10 The origin story of “Private Censorship”
8:29 How does FIRE figure out what to weigh in on?
12:04 Examples of private censorship
18:24 Regulating speech at work
22:21 Regulating speech on social media platforms
30:09 Is social media essentially a public utility?
35:50 Are internet service providers essentially public utilities?
44:43 Social media vs. ISPs
51:02 Censorship on search engines
59:47 Defining illiberalism outside of government censorship
