Twitter’s ban of Trump has ACLU concerned

| January 10, 2021

Even a blind chipmunk finds the occasional acorn. Or is it, some actions are so egregious even dyed-in-the-wool ideologues are moved to comment? The oddly named American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that bastion of progressive thought, has been shocked into commenting on the arbitrary banning of President Trump from social media.

According to them, Americans should be concerned about the influence these media platforms wield. The ACLU should be concerned that this is a revocation of the freedom of speech, and next time it could be their ox getting gored.

Poetrooper sends.

One of Big Tech’s Own Lobbed a Punch Against Them… On Behalf of Trump

By Beth Baumann
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is rarely, if ever, on the side of conservatives. In fact, they usually favor Democrats’ policies and decisions. But now the civil rights organization is speaking out about Big Tech’s decision to permanently ban President Donald Trump from their platforms.

According to the ACLU, Americans should be concerned about the “unchecked power” that social media platforms have.

“For months, President Trump has been using social media platforms to seed doubt about the results of the election and to undermine the will of voters,” ACLU Senior Legal Counsel Kate Ruane said in a statement. “We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions – especially when political realities make those decisions easier.”
The rest of the article may be viewed here: Townhall
Thanks, Poe.

Category: Guest Link, Internet, Media

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David

“Orange Man bad, but we think we could be next”…. bet it took the whole time since the ban dropped to sober up and figure out how to spin this both against Trump and in favor of repression.

Anonymous

Like soviet people said: “You’ll know it’s true when it happens to you.” (Who could be next, eh?)

Commissar

They should be concerned.

This whole thing is a dystopian clusterfuck.

SFC D

Aren’t you the same guy defending Apple, Amazon, etc. in another thread?

Commissar

Not defending them.

Pointing out that what they did was perfectly consistent with what happens whenever any app that violates their platform gets reported. The app is removed, the app maker is told to modify their app to meet their app store requirements.

They literally remove more than 500,000 a year.

The problem with Parler is it prides itself in not moderating. Which violates both store’s policies. I am surprised Parler lasted as long as it did.

I was also pointing out the problem we have in our society where we let profit > public good.

And now we have a society where the most powerful institutions are private globalized corporations that know more about us, know everywhere we go, and have more control over what we say, do or, buy than any government ever could.

And essentially could sell that information about us and that influence over us to any bidder. Including our government, and foreign governments.

Welcome to the “freedom“ of a profit driven Techno-capitalist society with exceedingly weak consumer rights and privacy rights. And very weak and feckless regulatory oversight.

And the only time they show genuine civic conscientiousness is when it is profitable or net positive PR.

SFC D

They do have the right to require users and/or platforms to adhere to their terms of service. They also have a legal and moral responsibility to apply their rules in a fair and equitable manner. And that ain’t happening. You don’t get to manipulate the rules to suit your agenda. Only Billy Martin and Smokey Yunick get to do that.

The Other Whitey

Lars is a two-faced shitlicker. In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.

Commissar

No, I just have a more nuanced worldview than most of you cult-like partisan asshats.

Not every issue boils down to republicans are right and democrats are wrong.

Besides I don’t think you have spent much time even thinking about this issue, you just woke up and saw your identify group standing on one side and joined them.

The Other Whitey

Baa, baa, Orange Man bad!
Baa, baa, the 2016 election was fake, but 2020 was airtight!
Baa, baa, it’s only okay when WE do it!
Baa, baa, I hate Hillary so much I shill for her because Orange Man bad!
Baa, baa, none of you know what communism is, especially not those who actually suffered under it!

Get fucked, limpdick.

Commissar

Fucking traitor.

The Other Whitey

You talking to the mirror again, you socialist cocksucker? As I’ve said before, you wish “Red Dawn” was real, because you would defect immediately. And we all know you’re stroking your tiny little dick as you fantasize about sending us into the zyklon showers, but that ain’t gonna happen.

The Other Whitey

You also joined an actual Marxist insurrection (albeit a highly inept one) that engaged in domestic terrorism. You calling anyone a traitor his hilarious, you fucking fairy.

Commie-Tsar

I AM A QUISLING! AND PROUD OF IT!!

ArmyATC

Says the shitstick who delights at the deaths of older American citizens.

Anonymous

Look who’s talking, comrade!

Anonymous

Aren’t you happy about this? It’s what you wanted.

OWB

Good. The ACLU certainly should be concerned when private companies act as agents for the government.

There might have been a better argument made against them acting as agents of the government a year ago. That argument has now disappeared particularly when members of Congress and others have declared publicly that the purge has begun. By whom? Why, by their agents, of course.

Agents of the government are still required to go by the same rules as the government itself, right? At least until a court somewhere reverses what has already been adjudicated.

KoB

We should ALL be concerned on the restrictions of free speech, no matter who says them.

I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend your right to say them…up to and including, “fighting words.” And being the dumbass that some can be, if you throw “fighting words” out there, I will defend the right of the person whipping your spapos azz, particularly when your “fighting words” ALWAYS include personal attacks.

I have listened/watched every video out there of President Trump’s “Twitter” speeches. I have yet to see/hear anything that I would consider “inciting a riot!”

The double standards and hypocrisy of the news media over this whole situation is appalling. Not that I expected any different. And no, I didn’t expect the “results” of this “election” to be any different either.

Speaking of spaposes, I would expect our resident spapos to show up here with his vulgarity, personal attacks, and drivel in 5.4.3.2.. Even ignoring him doesn’t seem to do any good. Poor, poor, pathetic, self loathing little man.

5JC
Sapper3307

Kicked the murder hornets,,they have.

Devtun

Tucker interviews Parler’s Chief Publicity Officer. Yeah, Parler is in deep kim chee now w/ Amazon or any other company refusing to web host them.

QMC

I for one, welcome the incoming authoritarian Socialist Technocracy Administration!

Long live the Revolution! Spasebo Comrades!

penguinman000

Perhaps the ACLU felt the 6.0 on the Richter scale caused by Martin Niemöller spinning in his grave.

Anonymous

Jus Bill

We are in strange times. This is the first time in years that the ACLU was actually race neutral in the area of Civil Rights. Are they worried that the Libs are running out of “enemies” to cancel?

HMCS(FMF) ret

Maybe they’re worried that they may be next?

It’s scary to think that someone can kill your social media account because they don’t like what you post or link to.

What next – social media scoring, like in China? If you don’t score high enough, your accounts are closed?

11B-Mailclerk

Apparently, Forbes is telling folks not to hire Trump supporters to avoid scrutiny. I guess they will give a free pass on sketchy behavior to Trump opponents.

Any donations to folks who questioned the election or Trump, will become targeting data, soon.

Representatives and Senators will have to Quisling or be cast out.

Prosecutions and impeachment for all opponents.

No dissent. No tolerance. Anyone objecting to the Party is mentally ill or traitor. Any involvement with their hated foe will be “terrorism” and subject to new punitive laws that are rather light on “judicial” and heavy on “squish”

Nothing outside the State, nothing against the state.

SiliconNacht is underway.

HMCS(FMF) ret

SiliconNacht is underway

It does look like it. When to we start seeing people having to were “special identification” on their clothing or their websites showing that they are not a member of “the party”?

NHSparky

Funny you should mention that. A quick Google search shows Silicon Valley has been looking to do that for a couple of years now.

11B-Mailclerk

SilikonAbteilung

11B-Mailclerk

The president of -Mexico- says it was wrong to censor Trump.

https://redstate.com/alexparker/2021/01/10/donald-trump-twitter-suspension-mexico-president-andres-manuel-lopez-obrado-putin-navalny-jesus-ramirez-censorship-n307857

It is not like they are best buds, or political fellow travelers.

Slow Joe

The Commiessar keeps calling traitors those who disagree with the Left.

I am telling you, this is their next move.

A Proud Infidel®™

They’re the ones who have spent the past four years doing all they can to smear and belittle President trump and now they’re calling for “unity” just like a wife beater taking his spouse shopping for more makeup to hide the shiner he gave her.

5JC

Here is a brief rundown of some of the left wing calls for violence on the Twitter platform. Still waiting on the bans.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1347524609701195777.html

5JC

Twitter is also down 25% since Wendsday resulting in a loss of market capitalization of nearly $10 Billion.

11B-Mailclerk

They plan to make that up by destroying any alternative.

Sapper3307

The Parler platform has been removed by Lars momma for hurt feeling’s and freedom.

penguinman000

So the Pelosi has admitted this is motivated to keep Trump from running for office again.

How on God’s green earth can the collective clown car of politicians in DC not see how this will end badly. If they actually do impeach to keep him from running for office again, what do they think is going to happen when they don’t control the House?

These idiots are setting a president for impeachment of every sitting President of the opposite party.

“The other guys did it before us!”

The Gore/Bush election unleashed the courts/lawyers into the elections and that’s only gotten worse.

The whole lot of them disgust me. Petty children with no integrity or foresight.

OWB

How can they not see it? That’s simple – they don’t want to see it.

Normal, sane Americans have listened to the lies, been called names, heard the threats and calls for violence from the left. For years now. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the same normal, sane Americans react to credible threats with suspicion and preparedness. When somebody, anybody, threatens to hurt me (or you), has the means to hurt me (or you), it is simply stupid to give that somebody, anybody, the opportunity to hurt me (or you).

As is often the case, this is not nearly as difficult to understand as too many wish to make it appear.

11B-Mailclerk

They do see it. They see it with great clarity.

They don’t intend for anyone to ever again have a choice. Thus, The Steal.

It is an absolute tell. They are all afraid more of their new masters than of the electorate, which means “someone” convinced them that the electorate can’t affect them, but the Left can.

And some could not wait ten days to Quisling and put out the “for sale” signs.

Yup. There it is in stark terms.

Lobogris

Bingo.

penguinman000

If their intent is to remove any choice they are VERY bad at math. Half of the country voted for Trump. And the hemorrhage of minorities from the left has begun in earnest.

This isn’t going to work out well for the Dems in the long run.

11B-Mailclerk

If their game plan is some fantastic “we decide who voted for whom” then party-switching no longer concerns them, because the -votes- won’t switch. They could do as they pleased.

Now, since the voting is fair and honest, they will be concerned about opinions. There will be a seeking of common cause, common ground, and have no need to, say, hound opposition from the public square.

So, since that hounding won’t happen, they still care how folks might vote.

They, of course, are running a legitimate pawnshop, still, not a “fence” of stolen votes.

11B-Mailclerk

Did I put enough backspin on that to slide past the minders?

Gotta practice.

OWB

Seems about right from here. But, the rules may change before the end of the week.

Anonymous

Da, comrade, is whole plan! (Ain’t that right, Lars?)

“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” –Joe Stealin’… er, Stalin (Democrats’ hero)

tommer

As soon as they get their check from big tech they will once again be the turds that won’t flush.

Zaporozhe

Saw it coming mid trump admin. Told my wife …this cycle they’re going for the brass ring What’s happening is not spontaneous or random. A plan is being followed. It wasn’t happenstance that Drudge literally overnight flipped to the dark side. Conservatives we thought were on our side (including Supreme Court justices) suddenly flip to the dark side. Any dirt in a persons past will be found when the full resources of the US are brought to bear. My suspicion is that there was and is a lot of blackmail happening. These are historic times. A sea change… The republic is gone. The US is now a single party tyranny. Academia is a branch of the democrat party. Every summer another wave of the indoctrinated hits the street. Mainstream media is a branch of the democrat party. The press will spin everything to show the left can do no wrong and that conservatives are nazi, racist white supremists Social media is a branch of the democrat party. No dissent will be tolerated. The only opinions allowed will be those approved by government. The accounts of those who don’t follow the approved dialog are having their accounts permanently frozen. Conservative websites are being disappeared. …..and now the left controls the ballot box. We are being told by the mainstream media that blatent in your face voter fraud did not happen (Gaslighting). Social media is censoring proof that there was in fact fraud. There will not be another Republican administration Someone here posted the idea we should work with the dems…they hate us, HATE us. It should be clear now that they will never work with us, never intended to. Their goal is and always has been to destroy us, crush us. If you are to destroy a people you first demonize them. Gin up hatred. Once the hate is strong enough anything you do will have the approval of the masses. Massive propaganda campaign demonizing the Jews before Hitler started killing them. Same with the Ukrainian kulaks before Stalin seized all the food and starved millions to death. Trump supporter is… Read more »

UpNorth

Yeah, that was my take-away from that video, too. I didn’t think that trespassing was a crime requiring or authorizing death as a punishment, but I only had 30 years of training on lethal force, criminal law and the like.
Ashlii Babbitt was not an overt threat to life when she was shot. And, if it was a trained law enforcement officer who fired the shot, where was the second shot from the double tap? That was the training I got the last 10 years or so at my PD.
Hell, I was assaulted with weapons during a Weather Underground riot and I never entertained the thought of shooting the assholes. I used Chemical Mace on them.

11B-Mailclerk

Oh look!

Twitter is kinda selective on who gets fact-checked or banned for doubting the integrity of elections.

Some animals -are- more equal than other animals.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/twitter-silent-as-resurfaced-tweet-from-nancy-pelosi-declared-that-2016-election-was-hijacked

So, it’s ok to say “the Russians stole it” who had no effective access, but not “the Democrats stole it”, who have a whole bunch of access to toss monitors ?

Weird!

HMCS(FMF) ret

And in California… Big GOV may snitch you out to Big Tech:

http://www.danielgreenfield.org/2021/01/californias-internet-censorship-office.html