Thread

1. throwaway27448 · 1790505215 · focus · HN ↗

   I don't understand why countries don't simply block facebook, instagram, etc. There's zero upside to allowing them.

   1. literalAardvark · 1790505726 · focus · HN ↗

      I'm just as confused as you are.

      The economic value seems literally negative and the influence on the discourse massive and much too unpredictable.

      The recent Romanian election where a focused botnet created a pro russian candidate from thin air 2 weeks before the election _and got him elected president_ should really be proof enough that the state of things is unnatural.

      1. bamboozled · 1790513876 · focus · HN ↗

         Because western democracies are about freedom of speech and access to information ?

         1. throwaway27448 · 1790554938 · focus · HN ↗

            To my ear, "freedom of speech" mostly means "ability to be an asshole without consequence". Facebook seems determined to push this as close to fraud as possible without incurring legal consequences. This is, of course, the main drawback of democracy, but why don't states stand up for themselves and demarcate the freedom clearly rather than acting like a doormat for capital? Not that america in living memory would understand such values....

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