Opinion: Growing Big Tech Censorship Is Cause For Concern

The Internet and social media has dominated this modern age, stimulating a huge shift in power in regard to how information is communicated. With that in mind, the concept of big tech censorship has become a hot topic for the media to discuss. 

While some people argue that big tech censorship is needed, others point out the underlying issue that censorship, when unchecked, can strip away at the people’s freedom of speech. However, regulation to some degree is necessary in order to protect Internet users from violence, harassment and abuse online. 

The act of finding balance between regulation and censorship amongst the big tech companies can be quite challenging since there is a fine line between the two that must be acknowledged.

In 1996, the Communications Decency Act – also known as Section 230 – was created to “provide legal immunity from liability for internet services and users for content posted on the Internet.” 

Section 230 allows social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook to censor or remove what may be harmful material such as pornography. More recently, however, Big-Tech has been accused of using Section 230 in a way it was not created. Many are concerned it is being used as a way to moderate those that the “fact checkers” and “gatekeepers” of these apps may not agree with. While there may not be a way to prove this theory, it certainly is a viable one considering the blatant censorship of many high-profile Republicans – including the former president Donald Trump earlier in January and the removal of the Twitter-like app Parler from Google and Apple.

However, when it comes down to picking sides, the answer is rather clear. Keeping censorship at a minimum would be the best path for big tech companies to follow as it preserves the right for the freedom of speech to be practiced and it protects those who utilize it. In addition, it creates an environment that encourages the natural flow of creativity, expression and perspective in the online community. 

If the practice of censorship becomes prominent in big tech companies, it can create a serious imbalance in today’s modern society. In other words, if it becomes more common for social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to filter through the content its users are posting online, free speech will be threatened. Furthermore, it will take away the voice of not only individuals, but also the people as a whole. 

As a result, it will allow those in power to control and manipulate the narrative that is being delivered to the audience. That can quickly lead to the abuse of power because information and knowledge are both a form of currency that translate to power. 

The ability for people to possess and convey information freely is a necessary element in maintaining both the social and political balance in society. Without it, different perspectives are unable to be heard and it can create an unhealthy amount of groupthink.

Censorship equates to the silencing of a voice which has proven to be dangerous in many countries around the world. One of the most infamous and extreme examples can be found in North Korea. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has an extremely authoritarian amount of power over the people of North Korea. This is largely due to the fact that he exercises a tremendous amount of censorship in the media that he allows his citizens to consume.

 As a result, it has created a society that is inevitably vulnerable to indoctrination and in addition, has no way to combat it. This has led to a massive power imbalance between the leadership and the people of North Korea. Without the ability to have freedom of speech and dialogue, the citizens of the highly censored country are left in the dark and fully reliant on those in power.

The recent trends of censorship should cause us to stop and ask now that it’s started, will it ever stop? While these social apps are private businesses, they should allow individuals to speak about their views and allow conversations to happen – as long as what is being said doesn’t bring about harm. Having a difference of opinion isn’t a dangerous thing. Not being able to voice that opinion, however, is a totally different story.

Overall, big tech censorship is often more damaging than it is beneficial for internet users, and should only be used when it is vital to prevent the spread of things such as threats of violence or terrorism, hateful conduct, graphic violence, and adult content. However, in order to conduct media fairly, the content must clearly violate the terms and agreements that big tech companies have set in order to be censored. Otherwise, it just becomes a game of cherry picking which leads to the abuse of power and seriously harm society.

Hannah Harden is an Opinion Writer.