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Comment by subsubzero | Hacker News Reader

First:

>Threats and actions to commit treason should be handled by authorities and prosecuted.

Lets start off there, anything related to violence/physical harm has no place, anything else, its totally fair game, and is protected by the 1st amendment.

If you think Parler does a poor job of moderation and stuff being said on there offends you, guess what, don't download the app and don't use it.

Second:

As far as amplifying Parler, would you mean put it on the list of top apps? I don't think Apple is doing that. I am not a fan of Parler and its content but I am an absolute fan of the 1st amendment and all that it entails.

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> Lets start off there, anything related to violence/physical harm has no place, anything else, its totally fair game, and is protected by the 1st amendment.

I assume you mean is -not- protected.

> If you think Parler does a poor job of moderation and stuff being said on there offends you, guess what, don't download the app and don't use it.

And if Apple thinks they're doing a poor job, don't post it in their app store? Or should Apple be constrained somehow and forced to carry it?

If Apple thinks the violent content on Parler is out of control and needs moderation, isn't that Apple's own decision? If you don't like Apple's choice of what content to curate in their app store, "then guess what, don't buy an Apple phone and use the app store"? OR should you have more recourse beyond this?

> If Apple thinks the violent content on Parler is out of control and needs moderation, isn't that Apple's own decision?

Apple/Google are utility level companies and effectively control almost all of the apps/phones OS in a majority of US citizens smart phones.

This leads to a really slippery slope where what if you as an individual say something people in power do not like? You get fired thats for sure, then Chase your bank de-platforms you, you can no longer use their banking services(they have a right to remove you as customer like you said right?) or Verizon says they can no longer have you as customer as well? So you no longer can communicate electronically, or do banking. Lets go further, say Google shuts off your gmail account, you are basically put into the stone age for exercising a right guaranteed to you by the 1st amendment. Scary stuff and we are heading towards this dystopia sooner than you think.

You're saying you see Apple and Google should be subject to regulation on who they do business with? Like common carriers?

> Apple/Google are utility level companies and effectively control almost all of the apps/phones OS in a majority of US citizens smart phones.

And finally we arrive to the crux of the problem. Sounds like they should be regulated, yes?

There's no need to drag the 1st amendment into the discussion at all, because this really has nothing to do with it.

"If you think Parler does a poor job of moderation and stuff being said on there offends you,"

Parler is being used to organize violence:

"About 20 or so hits will turn everything around"

"Who do you think the first Democrat assassination will be?"

"It's time to put that ammo to good use."

This kind of stuff gets out of hand very quickly.

It's obviously different than:

"I think the election was stolen"

"Rumour has it Georgia was full of fraud"

"I think so and so is a liar!"

Which is more mundane and obviously within bounds.

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