Free Speech in a Digital World
#NEWSLETTER | These days free speech seems like a poorly considered hashtag rather than a meditation on our sacred rights. A few thoughts this week in finding some clarity on the subject...
Have you noticed the way in which our growing digital realm, with its word character limit, tight interface, and handy hashtags, has seemed to “sloganize” what we would have previously considered super weighty topics?
It’s created the illusion of neatly organizing concepts and ideas into categories based on whether they are “good” or “bad.” The laziness of this habit, though, can result in us wandering down a path that is far from resembling something “good.”
Considering “Free Speech” in Digital Terms
By Definition
Without a doubt the loose and simple phrasing of our right to free speech has sometimes left the Supreme Court to feel for its edges.
But for our purposes it’s pretty clear… Americans have the freedom to speak without limit (with few exceptions that incite violence or cause harm…think screaming “fire” in a movie theater).
“Content Neutral” Limitations
Now you don’t need to be a Constitutional scholar to also understand that the freedom to speak is not dependent on where you say it.
“Content neutral” limitations is a reference to the fact that you can’t, say, come into my lobby and engage in “free speech” if I don’t want you there; or in any other private setting, or in a prohibited way (noisy, dangerous etc.) where you are not welcome regardless of the “content” of what you are saying.
We totally get that, right?
Privately-Owned Social Media Platforms are Not a “Right”
Without-a-doubt, Congress with its wishy-washy talk of “disinformation” has muddled the discussion over what is “safe” or “unsafe” in regards to social media platforms (which in-and-of-itself is no different than a safety-restriction on a food product, amusement park ride, or even plastic straws).
But despite our government’s bumbling of the TikTok debate, at its core, this is not an issue of free speech at all. TikTok is harmful because it collects a massive amount of info on Americans, including an unsettling amount of facial biometric data, and freely shares it with its Beijing-based parent-company.
Yes you should be concerned about US companies collecting the same data, but the worst-case scenario is China, or another adversary, having control of this information en masse. That’s *the thing.”
Did You Know TikTok’s Sister App is Doing Kids Homework? 🤬
If you get the data issue, then you should be concerned about Gauth. I wrote this week about this popular sister app to TikTok that uses AI to “help” American kids with homework.
If you want a non-paywalled link, shoot me a note…
Despite the SAME data concerns (which were also flagged by Common Sense a couple of years ago), and despite the same language around “data sharing” in its privacy policy, you would likely never know that ByteDance was the app’s owner (see how I figured it out in my piece).
Worried About Deepfakes? Well, Stolen Biometrics is, Alas, How they are Made
Don’t let the mixed messages of legislators confuse you… the biometric data included in image and video data is how deepfakes are convincingly produced. A reminder: your face has a unique “print” that is not dissimilar to your fingerprint. No one else has your exact face…and you want to keep it protected from being digitally copied.
Free Speech and Free Thought
Back to free speech…
If you’ve felt a bit squirmy about all of this instinctually, you may also worry about how debate and disagreement has been stifled in the past few years.
As a GenXer I feel sure that we used to explore ideas, debate, and push the boundaries of thought without social annihilation, right? And certainly we have far, far more in common with our neighbors than not. So how did we let rigid orthodoxy creep into the media we consume?
If you haven’t read the piece about NPR it’s really a must. If you have struggled to explain a discomfort with news, idea and how being on one “team” or another seems much tidier than it is, this really defines the moment.
If you have thoughts please share. I’d love to hear from you.
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