Recently Americans learned that a well-known organization that millions rely on is suspected of deliberately keeping information hidden from the public. Oh! You thought I was talking about government? Heavens no, Americans are still learning that lesson. Rather, Facebook is the organization in question, and is currently under the microscope of the Senate Commerce Committee. Facebook is accused of censoring “conservative” sources, keeping them suppressed in the “Trending” feature of Facebook’s website.
Here’s the rub according to disheartened conservatives. They claim that because Facebook is seen as a news outlet, that the social media giant is intentionally misleading people. Conversely, I guess this would mean that people DON’T see “official” news organizations like CNN and FOX to be news outlets, as there isn’t even a hint of an uproar of their less than honest coverage of stories. I actually applaud Facebook for their covert takeover of the way people consume news today!
Now, here’s why I don’t care, and hope that no judicial or legislative actions are taken against Facebook:
They are a private corporation based on the voluntary usership of their customers. Sure, I don’t love everything that Facebook does, and if my utility of them diminishes to unbearable levels, I will stop using them. I can give them feedback and endure my moments of frustration, but at the end of the day, I am still a sovereign consumer. In fact, another social media competitor may come along and offer better services, and we could all incline ourselves to them. So what if they have a bent, an agenda, or political leaning? I ABSOLUTELY do not want the government to start regulating them, no more than I want the government to regulate me!
To own something means to have total control of the thing possessed. An understanding of the Personal Property Ethic helps us interact with each other as mutually exclusive property owners. For example, I can utter whatever I like in my house, but if I come to your house, I “censor” my speech. Maybe you have young children around and prefer that I keep adult language to myself. It is your property and I consent to your rules, just as we consent to the “rules” and prerogatives of Facebook when using their media.
The urge to conflate perceived wrongs, while on somebody else’s property – physical or virtual – only invites the unnecessary involvement of the State. Don’t “Like” Facebook now? Imagine how terrible they’d be with politicians running it!
This article “Censorship Is Trending” is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Matthew Cornforth and emancipatedhuman.com.
