[ExI] Section 230 and Antitrust

[Stuart LaForge]

As many of the long time list members know, I am a very vocal opponent  
of racism and intolerance. I truly do believe that genetic and  
cultural diversity is a very important hedge against extinction and  
gives tremendous competitive advantages to diverse open societies. But  
I am also a huge proponent of the U.S. Constitution and the principles  
of individual liberty on which it was founded. That is why I have to  
weigh in on the events of the past two weeks.

While I decry the storming of Capitol by Q-Anon and alt-right  
extremists in an attempted coup, and I support the investigation and  
arrest of those who were responsible, I am very much against the  
unilateral attack on free speech by big tech. I was horrified to learn  
that 3 rich guys could decide to almost instantaneously destroy a  
promising young social media startup with over 30 employees and 10  
million users at the touch of a button.

I was reminded of Obi Wan's line from Star Wars regarding the  
destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star: "I felt a great disturbance  
in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror  
and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."  
It should terrorize anybody who has ever felt the slightest stir of  
the American Dream to grow a small business into a successful company,  
that Amazon could pull the plug on a small business so easily.

So why are not the Feds investigating this? Is that not collusion by a  
cartel to monopolize an entire sector of a market that SHOULD be free?  
By the letter of the law of Section 230 of the Communications Decency  
Act, Parler did nothing wrong and cannot be held liable for the  
content generated by its users. Who gave a small cadre of billionaires  
the right to decide what constitutes acceptable speech on their own  
platforms AND everyone else's?

Stuart LaForge