Article

2021-04-06 Government Corruption

Supreme Court Justice Thomas Suggests Facebook, Twitter Could Be Regulated Like Utilities

[Epoch via Zero] Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appeared to signal that Big Tech firms could be regulated after Facebook and Twitter suspended President Donald Trump earlier this year.
A rare breed of high-placed thinkers who believes Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act may be unconstitutional and possibly illegal.
Thomas, considered a conservative on the high court, made the point during a 12-page submission as the Supreme Court issued an order that rejected a lawsuit over Trump’s blocking of certain Twitter users from commenting on his posts before his account was taken down. The Supreme Court said the lawsuit ultimately should be dismissed as Trump isn’t in office anymore and was blocked from using Twitter, coming after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled against Trump.

"Today’s digital platforms provide avenues for historically unprecedented amounts of speech, including speech by government actors. Also unprecedented, however, is control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties," Thomas wrote Monday (pdf).

"We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms."

Thomas also noted there are arguments suggesting digital platforms such as Twitter or Facebook "are sufficiently akin to common carriers or places of accommodation to be regulated in this manner."

Thomas made reference to the respective owners of Facebook and Google by name—Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin.

Same topic at NPR found here.

Posted by Besoeker 2021-04-06 02:43|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 A 'suggestion' that will likely go absolutely nowhere. (posted as gov't corruption purposefully)

Posted by Besoeker 2021-04-06 02:47|| 2021-04-06 02:47|| Front Page Top

#2 S'OK, they are already making plans to cut off all public utilities to anyone who doesn't vote dem.

Posted by M. Murcek 2021-04-06 08:00|| 2021-04-06 08:00|| Front Page Top

#3 Oh noes! Jack will post a mean tweet about Justice Thomas

Posted by Frank G 2021-04-06 08:31|| 2021-04-06 08:31|| Front Page Top

#4
As much as I feel Social Media is Socially and Politically Bias.

Any such SCOTUS ruling must be extremely narrow in focus.

I feel what Social Media sites should be required to do is:

Post and adhere to standards that are equally applied to all "user posted speech" regardless of social, political or opinion content. Of course civil decorum standards should also be established.

I also feel the US Internet Privacy Laws must be updated to allow the user to determine the level of privacy and to ease the removal of collected or posted personal data.

We have HIPPA for medical issues and we should a strong Internet version. Not like the Social Media steered and watered down version for campaign favors and donations that congress passed some years ago.

Otherwise Social Media should forfeit any protections for an E-press under the 1st amendment and be fined and sued as needed like any private company violating a persons civil rights.

Posted by NN2N1 2021-04-06 08:45|| 2021-04-06 08:45|| Front Page Top

#5 These sites are supported by advertisers. They do not charge a fee to the public. They do not provide a vital service. They are excellent at being a place to easily socialize.

The people at the top of the org that developed and runs them are immoral idiots. Trump's approach is the best solution, develope a better alternative. The government taking over these sites via social media regulations is the last thing you want.

Posted by Blackbeard Barnsmell6454 2021-04-06 09:27|| 2021-04-06 09:27|| Front Page Top

#6 regulation would be difficult as FB, for example, is a multi headed beast with some operations being hidden behind multiple layers of camouflage

Posted by Lord Garth 2021-04-06 09:36|| 2021-04-06 09:36|| Front Page Top

#7 This would be a mess to regulate, drive profits down and give us ways to attack them. I'm all for it. Let let them have to deal with the USG machine!

Posted by 49 Pan 2021-04-06 11:38|| 2021-04-06 11:38|| Front Page Top

#8 i send an aauuummm to thomas every night.
also to alito and gorsuch.

Posted by irish rage boy 2021-04-06 14:34|| 2021-04-06 14:34|| Front Page Top

#9 Don't regulate speech. Just
1) end the 230 giveaway
2) enforce the antitrust laws.
Force Google to divest DBM / DoubleClick and YouTube. Force Facebook to divest Instagram and WhatsApp.

Posted by Lumpy Omairt4248 2021-04-06 15:38|| 2021-04-06 15:38|| Front Page Top

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