The data suggests that deplatforming works. Milo; Katie Hopkins; InfoWars et al have all lost their former agenda-setting influence following deplatforming. And studies have shown that banning hate sub-Reddits does _not_ cause that content to “pop up elsewhere”, it causes it to decline overall.
It’s important to remember too there are incentives for people to argue and behave otherwise: FB, Twitter, hate-speech mongers who want easy access to large audiences — All have commercial cause to act in favour of more and more extreme speech.
People like that benefit from more and more extreme speech. They permit or encourage it on their platforms. This in turn causes the white blood cell count of the body politic to spike as it tries to counteract the bile and hate. This angry counter-speech then gets presented as “polarisation”.
The solution to ignorance _can often be_ silencing the ignorant, yes, in order that the educators can be heard.
Would we still have an anti-vax problem if FB banned it across its properties? Really?
Banning disruptive speakers works. Every pub landlord knows it.
It’s important to remember too there are incentives for people to argue and behave otherwise: FB, Twitter, hate-speech mongers who want easy access to large audiences — All have commercial cause to act in favour of more and more extreme speech.
People like that benefit from more and more extreme speech. They permit or encourage it on their platforms. This in turn causes the white blood cell count of the body politic to spike as it tries to counteract the bile and hate. This angry counter-speech then gets presented as “polarisation”.
The solution to ignorance _can often be_ silencing the ignorant, yes, in order that the educators can be heard.
Would we still have an anti-vax problem if FB banned it across its properties? Really?
Banning disruptive speakers works. Every pub landlord knows it.