[lliamander]

People are used to treating the Internet as the new public square. Obviously, there are many private entities that make up the Internet, but if want it to continue to serve as the public square (rather than a patchwork of corporate fiefdoms) then I think we have to accept the moral (and possibly legal) obligation of these private entities to maintain the Internet as a public square.

[ggggtez]

I essentially agree. The internet is not the public square, until you legally make it so.

And that essentially is not going to happen. Companies are "people too". They are allowed to express their free speech by not doing business with you.

Cloud Flare is within their rights to protect their stock value by doing business with whomever they choose. If the government declared the opposite, then it would truly require a massive shakeup of law and precedent.

[lliamander]

> The internet is not the public square, until you legally make it so.

Culture and custom generally precede law and government. If the Internet is a public square, it is only so as a result of our various social relations. Passing laws would be merely to preserve it as such.