Intelligence Squared

Debate: Big Tech was Right to Deplatform Trump

Feb 19, 2021

In this captivating discussion, Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a political and women's rights activist, Nadine Strossen, a civil liberties champion and former ACLU president, and James Bosworth, a political risk expert, tackle the explosive topic of Big Tech's decision to deplatform Donald Trump. They explore the fine line between censorship and accountability, the implications for free speech in a digital age, and the potential risks to democracy posed by such actions. Their diverse viewpoints ignite a thought-provoking debate about the responsibilities of social media in shaping public discourse.

01:04:52

Creator website

Episode guests

James Bosworth

Nadine Strossen

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Deplatforming Debate: Freedom vs. Public Safety

21min

Exploring the Implications of Deplatforming Political Figures

2min

Guardians of Liberalism

6min

The Controversy of Deplatforming: Trump and Tech Accountability

15min

The Debate on Deplatforming and Free Speech

14min

Debate on the Deplatforming of Trump and Its Implications

3min

Shortly after a pro Trump mob stormed the Capitol on January 6th - Big Tech unplugged the President. For years he’d used social media to communicate directly with his supporters. Even on the day, as lawmakers in the Capitol scurried to find places of safety during the siege, Trump posted: ‘STOP THE STEAL’, and proclaimed ‘You will never take back our country with weakness.’ Then, came the crack down. Reddit removed the “DonaldTrump subreddit”. YouTube tightened its policy on posting videos, that called the outcome of the election into doubt. TikTok took down posts with hashtags like #stormthecapitol. Facebook suspended Trump’s account indefinitely, and Twitter, the former President’s favoured form of communication, took his account away permanently. So did Big Tech make the right decision? And was this censorship or accountability? Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, James Bosworth, Nadine Strossen and Freddie Sayers debate. The event was chaired by Manveen Rana host the of Stories of Our Times podcast which you can listen to here: https://play.acast.com/s/storiesofourtimes You can order Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu's new book here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/this-is-why-i-resist-dont-define-my-black-identity-dr-shola-mos-shogbamimu/

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