[iron0013]

Wait, what would be the problem of operating under their own political leanings? That's exactly the point--Facebook has decided that they oppose hate speech and will not host it. That's a political decision, and that's okay.

[chrismeller]

And when their ads in some hypothetical way influence an election, is that still ok? What if something something Russia something too?

They’re free to place any demands on their platform as they see fit. I have no problem with anything they’ve done.

The problem arises when you insist that Facebook do things according to your political leanings, but then suddenly your political leanings don’t line up with everyone else’s anymore and you’re the odd one out and now people are demanding that you be banned.

Yes, for 99.999999% of people that’s never going to be a problem. The crap they post on FB is so worthless I’m sure it’d be a negligible loss to the world if they were, but that’s the point - banning them isn’t the right way to get them to change their minds or to improve their posts.

[iron0013]

They’re free to place any demands on their platform as they see fit. I have no problem with anything they’ve done.

Great, I'm glad we agree!

The problem arises when you insist that Facebook do things according to your political leanings, but then suddenly your political leanings don’t line up with everyone else’s anymore and you’re the odd one out and now people are demanding that you be banned.

Yes, for 99.999999% of people that’s never going to be a problem.

Including me, because I do not advocate for harming, killing, or stripping the civil rights from others, unlike the folks who are being banned. :-)

banning them isn’t the right way to get them to change their minds or to improve their posts.

Who wants to change their minds or improve their posts? I want them the hell out of my face, permanently, and I'm happy that Facebook agrees.

[manigandham]

Why are you following people who post these things?

[chrismeller]

So freedom of speech is not a civil right?

Everyone has a right to spout whatever crap they want. Online or on a soapbox on a street corner. You also have the right to ignore them. Exercise it and be happier in your daily life.

[iron0013]

Free speech is an awesome civil right! But weren't we talking about Facebook essentially "kicking people out of their living room for shouting the N word"? What does that have to do with free speech?

[chrismeller]

> Including me, because I do not advocate for harming, killing, or stripping the civil rights from others, unlike the folks who are being banned. :-)

You’re stripping the civil rights from people you disagree with...

[iron0013]

You don't have the right to shout hate speech in my living room or on Facebook, but you do have the right to do so on your own platform or soapbox--and so do the far-right groups that got banned from facebook (they're also banned from my living room, they just don't know it yet).