[ng12]

Free speech as a concept has been around for a lot longer than the US government.

The problem is if free speech is effectively banned from the internet due to the internet being controlled by a handful of private companies, do we still have free speech?

[pavel_lishin]

Let's stay on topic here; being banned from Patreon doesn't limit his speech at all.

[ng12]

But what happens when Patreon, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Twitch and PayPal all work together to create collective censorship? Is your speech being limited if you're functionally blocked from the meaningfully accessible parts of the internet?

Yes, these are all private companies. In fact someone already tried to create an alternative Patreon (called Hatreon, iirc) that was shut down by Visa. Allowing censorship by private companies doesn't work if private companies control who gets to exist on the internet.

[ryandrake]

What happens is what's already happening: These platforms start becoming less and less diverse echo chambers where only Silicon Valley approved opinions and world views are allowed, and people who do not hold those opinions or views go off and find alternative services, further isolating people from each other, into their own ideological rabbit holes.

[pavel_lishin]

We're talking about Patreon here. These guys are effectively selling their opinions; their supporters want to give them money so that they keep producing their opinions.

What happens if I try to exercise my speech by selling little racist caricature dolls? Walmart, Target, KMart and 7-11 would refuse to stock them. Is my free speech being limited if I'm functionally blocked from the meaningfully accessible parts of our capitalist system?

No, and it would be ludicrous to suggest that grocery stores owe me shelf space.

(Facebook, Reddit and Twitch are a different animal altogether; Comcast, Time Warner, etc. are yet another leve lremoved.)

[lancesells]

No, your speech is still safe even if Comcast cuts off your service. The internet does not equal freedom of speech. Just because the barrier of entry to Twitter or Facebook is considerably easier than appearing on CNN they are companies that can have rules regarding who they allow on.

If people are being arrested for what they are saying then that's censorship and something to be worried about.