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by nsizx 1761 days ago
It is, actually. Once you restrict what others can say there's no freedom of speech anymore. It's like China saying you can't talk about the regime - I'm sure they consider that "basic human decency" as well.
3 comments

It's not a restriction of freedom of speech. This is just exercising freedom of association.

"If you're an asshole, I won't broadcast your stuff."

People are still free to be assholes, but the platform is free to not associate themselves with the assholes.

Very simple.

It's even open source. Anyone who disagrees with the project's listing policy can make their own list.

https://source.joinmastodon.org/mastodon/joinmastodon

>Once you restrict what others can say there's no freedom of speech anymore.

If you go by that definition then there is no country on Earth that has freedom of speech.

And that's a good thing because that definition is completely and utterly insane; Absolute freedom of speech would be a catastrophe.

Freedom of speech isn't freedom to be a bigot. You can say whatever you want, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world has to listen.
> Freedom of speech isn't freedom to be a bigot. You can say whatever you want, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world has to listen.

To be clear, it is freedom to be a bigot, or at least to say bigoted things, just not freedom to have anyone else listen to those things (or, as hopefully goes without saying, for any action based on those bigoted things that goes beyond words).

> just not freedom to have anyone else listen to those things

This implies freedom to remember you say bigoted things and proactively avoid you.

> This implies freedom to remember you say bigoted things and proactively avoid you.

Certainly. Freedom of speech, not freedom from consequences, as they say.

“There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech.”

― Idi Amin

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9082497-there-is-freedom-of...

That's not the company into which I'd prefer to be lumped as a believer in free speech with consequences. I'm not sure whether or not that was your point ….
Exactly it's why I send money to ACLU and EFF. I'll spend money to help defend your right to say what you want, but I'll be damned if I have to listen to your BS on my own time. I'm just there to stop the government from outlawing freedom of speech.