[b9a2cab5]

This is like saying if you don't like the rules you can build your own multinational telephone network. There's a reason telecoms are subject to common carrier rules and I don't see why tech monopolies should be any different.

[Nasrudith]

The crucial difference is lack of a right of way. The thing which creates an actual monopoly instead of the language degradation of monopoly to mean "But it is big and I don't like it!".

[Imnimo]

My understanding of common carrier rules is that they want to avoid a situation where a railroad or telephone operator who controlled the only available line could charge exorbitant rates to customers who had no alternatives. I don't really see how the same concern is true for Facebook - we have lots of options to disseminate information online.

[bragh]

I think you are seriously and intentionally misunderstanding the point. So far it was completely fine for Facebook to ban whoever they wanted and it was justified by them being a private company. Anybody who complained about it was told that they can build their own social network/cloud provider/payment provider.

Somehow now this is bad... Ridiculous.

[b9a2cab5]

It's fine if you're a small or medium size business that commands at most single digit % of the market. Facebook dominates ad spending and reach to the point that you can't just build your own, because they have a de facto monopoly/oligopoly over digital ads.

Let me ask you this: do you think Apple should be allowed to ban whoever they want from their platform justified by them being a private company? If you say no, then you should also say no to Facebook being allowed to do so. Otherwise you're just twisting the facts to support your political position.

[macksd]

Different people on the Internet will say different things. You can't really assign one collective motive to everything on the Internet and then say it's hypocritical.

[munk-a]

Facebook is a utility that should be nationalized - it has grown too big.

[pengaru]

> Facebook is a utility that should be nationalized - it has grown too big.

This can't happen to utility monopolies:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/oct/06/telegram-says-...

If your claim were true, everyone would just be stuck suffering and beholden to Facebook's ability to fix their service for lack of options.

[riffic]

> Facebook is a utility

hardly.