Free Speech is Bigger than Trump and Zuck

You’ve probably read plenty of hot takes about last weeks’ changes to Meta’s content moderation policies, how Zuck is bending the knee to Trump, and what this means for free speech.

The signal is getting lost in the noise: Big Tech platforms, and their monopolistic, surveillance-based business models, are incompatible with free speech. Arguing about whether Facebook was more or less supportive of free speech before or after these changes misses the point. That’s why Fight for the Future supports antitrust and privacy legislation, and alternatives to Big Tech social media platforms. Instead of getting lost in trying to mold Meta into something slightly less-than-terrible, we need to build political power to dismantle Big Tech and surveillance capitalism in general, and build the people-first Internet we need.

Here are some of our top thoughts and some readings and analysis that we’ve found valuable:

• ‘Free speech’ has never actually been the priority for Meta, content moderation doesn’t work, and censorship and moderation has always disproportionately harmed marginalized voices.
• Stop Pretending Meta Cares About Free Speech 
• The Good, The Bad, The Stupid: Meta Content Moderation Policy Changes 
• Meta Leaving Users to Wade Through Hate + Disinformation
• Content Moderation-Failed Experiment
• IG Blocks Teens from Searching LGTBQ Information
• Palestinian Testimonies of Meta Censorship 
• Facebook: Racism Censored as Hate Speech
• Deletion or flagging of content exposing Meta

• Many are concerned Meta’s fact checking policy shifts will exacerbate the spread of misinformation, when in reality their fact checking practices have always been problematic and mostly ineffective. 
• Fact Checking Was Never Going to Save US
• Fact Checking Post 2016 Election 
• Fact Checking Uphill Battle:Sensational Content 

Feel free to share any resources you’ve found helpful in the comments below!