This is one of the most important videos you’ll see on the internet this year ??
Zuckerberg says Facebook & Instagram will now prioritise free speech
?? This is a cultural tipping point that will have knock on effects for the rest of the internet
? Mark says "fact checkers" were too biased & legacy media too political about censorship
??? We're entering a new era of social media called "freedom of expression"
My thoughts? Obviously this has been influenced by Trump and Elon, however:
?? As Tim Urban's book "What's our problem" highlights, good ideas, when taken to an extreme or followed in sequence, can lead to unintended bad outcomes. This applies profoundly to online censorship:
Societies often embrace a good idea like: “protect individuals from harm.” But if this idea is prioritised *above all else* it can spiral into overreach:
The sequence might look like this:
1?? Start with a noble goal: Censorship to reduce hate speech, misinformation, or harassment
2?? The scope expands: The definition of “harm” broadens to include ideas that offend, make people uncomfortable or that people disagree with
3?? Silence dissent: Legitimate debate & differing opinions are suppressed, creating an echo chamber of “approved” ideas. (See the middle ages where the church controlled truth & dissenters were murdered)
4?? Erode trust: People lose faith in platforms they once trusted to facilitate open dialogue, seeing them as the "thought police"
?? This is exactly what happened this decade
Platforms like Meta, X & YouTube initially embraced "free speech" but faced extreme pressure to moderate & history shows that the pendulum often swings too far, leading to:
??Perceived Bias: Users believe platforms favour certain ideologies or narratives, damaging trust
??Polarisation: Perceived over-censorship leads to silos where people retreat to echo chambers (many more major social networks now than 10 years ago)
??Chilling Effects: Fear of backlash, bans or being cancelled, discourages genuine conversation, undermining the original goal of protecting free expression
? Balancing competing values is critical, which means there is NO PERFECT SOLUTION. The correct answer will therefore annoy all sides: Platforms must protect users without stifling conversation. How?
1?? Be Transparent: Clear, consistent moderation policies that everyone can see, that protect people against incited violence, real harm & illegal activity
2?? Decentralise "truth": Features like Community Notes decentralise decision-making and allow users to fact-check / add context in public view. No media organisation or person should be the truth police
3?? Defend Core Principles: Protect free expression (from all sides) as the cornerstone of a healthy online society, even when it’s uncomfortable, pisses you off or offends you
4?? User Empowerment: Give users more control on the algorithm they use and what they want to consume.
Thoughts?
