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by theoreticalmal 443 days ago
> There is no real reason for it existing

Except the fundamental human right to be able to say what you want, when you want, how you want, even (especially?) for commercial purposes.

4 comments

That seems like it requires a notion of corporate personhood? I don't mind some neighborhood pizza place boasting in their front window that they're the best in town (even though that's unlikely). But targeted ads across devices don't strike me as the free expression of a person.
There is no fundamental human right to walk down the street at 2am with a megaphone and scream "BUY MY USED CARS" into people's open bedroom windows while they're asleep. That counters "where you want, how you want, when you want". "Especially" for commercial purposes is even more objectionable - as if anyone should get more rights if they are trying to extract money from people than if they aren't?
Gratis vs libre.

I don't mind freely given personal recommendations for products, paid recommendations are suspect.

> fundamental human right

Meh, someone wrote them, we can change them, they're not universal, even in the US true free speech doesn't exist. libel ? slander ? incitement ? defamation ? &c. you can't even swear on tv...

And even if... what does it mean ? Should I invent a 400dB personal loudspeaker for people to express themselves 24/7 because they have "the right to say whatever they want however they want, whenever they want" ?

That's a schoolyard level take on what freedom of expression is...