YouTube will remove videos disputing the election results.

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Maniac Craniac, Dec 9, 2020.

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  1. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    In yet another blatant affront to free speech, YouTube will be taking down any new videos that claim widespread election fraud.

    http://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN28J28E

    The problem with removing false stories, as I see it, is the question of who gets to determine which stories are false. There's no way to speak truth to power if the power gets to decide who is allowed to speak.

    An obvious, and oft repeated, objection to my concern is that YouTube is a privately owned entity and has a right to use its property for its own purposes. I agree. However, there is the issue of YouTube enjoying legal protection from liability for its users' content due to its status as a platform as opposed to a publisher- a line that I believe they are crossing when they decide which "wrong" content they keep up or take down.

    This is different from taking down videos for violating terms of service that apply equally to all. This is YouYube acting like an editor, and therefore controlling the editorial perspective of their platform. In contast- when has, or when will, YouTube ever take down any of the false stories, gross mischaracterisations and exaggerations produced by the fear mongering fact-deprived and unscrupulous, but left-leaning, TheYoungTurks channel? None? Yeah, I thought so.

    Last but not least, it rubs me the wrong way because YouTube is turning into the exact opposite thing it was originally supposed to be. This is the story of the hero who lives long enough to see itself become the villain.

    What happened to you, YouTube? You used to be cool!
     
    Maniac Craniac, Dec 9, 2020
    #1
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    The right to free speech does not include an entitlement to one's choice of venue. YouTube is neither the public square nor a monopoly. Those who need a platform for videos YouTube won't host can go elsewhere, and often already do.
     
    SteveFoerster, Dec 9, 2020
    #2
    chrisjm18 likes this.
  3. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I addressed this (maybe too indirectly?) in my post. I was referring to free speech as a principle- not as legal right- and as one of the founding tenets of YouTube. I'm basically just complaining as a disgruntled user.

    There's a reason why it was named YouTube instead of MainstreamTube.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2020
    Maniac Craniac, Dec 9, 2020
    #3
    SpoonyNix likes this.
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Cool - of necessity - has a short shelf-life, half-life or whatever. It is temporal, not timeless. If you ever find "Eternal Cool" let me know.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2020
    Johann, Dec 9, 2020
    #4
    Maniac Craniac likes this.
  5. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Politics, legal liabilities, abuse, etc, and a timing couldn't be better.
    Twitter started as "Neutral" but now is no longer such in many peoples view.

    We will see how or if this will affect their traffic and revenue.

    2020 will go in also as the censorship year.
    Yahoo for example 3 to 4 months prior to elections turned off the option to comment on articles.
    People complain on disproportional censorship on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others.
     
    Lerner, Dec 9, 2020
    #5
  6. Messdiener

    Messdiener Active Member

    Regarding censorship, this is all the more reason to buy and operate one's own domain. While webhosting can become an issue, there are plenty of options to choose from.

    I understand, of course, that this becomes slightly more problematic when we speak of video content as self-hosting that isn't quite as easy, but there are plenty of alternatives (Vimeo, Bitchute, and LBRY to name but a few).
     
    Messdiener, Dec 9, 2020
    #6
    Maniac Craniac and SteveFoerster like this.
  7. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    YouTube has jumped the shark. Too many ads, heavy-handed and inconsistent policies. One thing I've noticed is that people in the so-called truth community who post complete nonsense (flat earth, QAnon, typical distraction garbage) and even racist trash against Jewish people seem to get to thrive and build huge communities with no strikes or bannings. But post about something real and verifiable that speaks against the Government, religious orders and such, and strikes and bannings come. Post something in the comments section they don't like? Lifetime ban at both the IP and device level. I really hate what YouTube has become.
     
    LearningAddict, Dec 12, 2020
    #7
    Maniac Craniac likes this.

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