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by c0da 3416 days ago
http://lifehacker.com/5953755/what-exactly-is-freedom-of-spe...

Freedom of speech refer's to a government's responsibility to protect freedom of speech. Private organizations are not held to that same standard.

This is why websites can choose their advertisers and why reddit can ban a subreddit.

Shopify should censor Breitbart.
2 comments
wvenable 3416 days ago
Hacker news users were all up in arms when US financial giants VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, the Bank of America and Western Union engaged in a banking blockade against WikiLeaks. The argument was that these companies should be neutral in their dealings.

I actually agree with you that Freedom of Speech does not compel any 3rd party to provide a platform for that speech. Shopify is perfectly within it's rights to deny a platform for anyone it chooses. However, I feel that's a race to the bottom. You have to be comfortable with companies discriminating against organizations you agree with as well.

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DarkKomunalec 3416 days ago
No, freedom of speech refers to the -ability- to speak freely. The _1st amendment_ refers to the government. If, after speaking out against abuses by your employer, you find yourself fired and blackballed from any decent job due to corporate collusion, your freedom of speech is harmed, even though the government never got involved.
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