[davefp]

> I can already host my own blog and have it safe from the whims of a central service.

Depends which central service. You aren't beholden to social media companies at that point, but you still have to:

* play by the rules of your ISP (If you're hosting on your home connection)

* trust that your hosting service won't arbitrarily turf you out

* make sure that your domain is safe from unauthorized transfers, sudden price increases, etc.

If the convenience and ease-of-use of current systems is worth those downsides (And for many, it is!) then fine. But it's not entirely accurate to say that you're safe from any central service.

To your second point, legality shouldn't be the final word. There are lots of governments with laws that are either actively or inadvertently used to silence dissenting opinions, or used to root out various undesirables. "You can do crime easier using it" isn't a great argument IMO.