For those out there that still don’t accept the notion that social media is being censored, —believe it or not, we just this week had one of our Instagram posts (which are simply direct quotes/not opinions or articles) “blocked/removed” as it was deemed “False Information” following a review by their “independent” fact-checkers. See the post below ⤵︎
No doubt J.K. Rowling would agree that social media censorship has indeed, hit “rock bottom” –at least when it comes to Instagram…
Dennis —
While this experience is regrettable, I’d rather see us suffer one of these incidents than leave all the egregious dis- and mis-information in place. Sad to say, it appears that the average reader is not able or unwilling to research what is real and what isn’t. When all the dis- and mis-information remains in place, you have citizens taking medications intended for horses as a way to ward off COVID. Somebody proposed it, and some people went ahead and did it. The dis- and mis-information just accumulates and pretty soon, the little lie becomes the big lie.
Which is worse?
Quite frankly, Jeff, I think the honest answer to your closing question, is BOTH … We’re into that downward spiral where it appears as though the lowest common denominator prevails until a new low is set, and again, and again. Appreciate your candor here, my friend. Fact-checking has steadily morphed into an oxymoron, indeed.
Either way you look at it, it’s dangerous terrain — the proverbial slippery slope. When does someone’s or an algorithm’s censorship of a Tweet or Instagram post morph into articles and books? The danger we’re facing right now is that social media has given people license to present whatever they want as “fact,” as “truth.” “Alternative facts” courtesy of Ms Conway and a host of others suddenly becomes legitimate currency. Truth is simply what I say it is.