Could someone help me with this discussion board post? (Details are down below)

*It should include an explanation of at least 1 relevant article (articles listed below) from the selection with proper in-text citations

*It should include an explanation of at least 1 relevant quote from selection with simple in-text citations that just include the last name of the author

The post needs to be at least three hundred words with word count stated at end of the post

Discussion Topic- Total Possible Points:50 points

"Now You See It, Now You Don't"

3310_1B_-2022

Content and Critical Thinking

This week we have focused, in part,on business ethics.You learned that the law is the moral minimum and ethics holds a higher standard than the law.

As the unprecedented global pandemic began to unfold,Americans turned more than ever to various forms of social media (the equivalent of the public square) to communicate with each other and to garner information.This included advice from the medical community and others regarding COVID-19.With growing frequency YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Google began removing items from certain segments of the community that they deemed to violate their "standards."Evidence indicates that these standards were applied inconsistently.Recently, the highly esteemed, Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the mRNA technology utilized in the COVID-19 vaccine was banned from Twitter due to his vocal opposition to the vaccine narrative.

Fast forward to our Presidential Election and allegations of fraud in the election process.The deletion of specific content became outright bans and de-platforming of the total content of many individuals.Next, came entire platforms being taken down such as Parler, a new platform created in part, to circumvent the bans by Big Tech.This complete censorship of voices because of the content of their messages in the public forum focused on users from one political group.

Although private corporations have no constitutional obligations to patrons and the actions of Big Tech are arguably legal,are their actions ethical?Do you want Big Tech deciding what you can and cannot view?

After contemplating the statements above, I need help discussing the following with my classmates:

What do you think about Big Tech being the arbiters of what you can and cannot see on platforms that were designed to be public forums?(Consider that Mark Zuckerberg recently admitted that Facebook "fact-checkers" were in reality based upon opinions of the fact-checkers and not actual facts.)

-Below is an attachment of a Selection of articles and quotes to use

*Articles:

*International Articles- sometimes the best way to remain neutral on an issue is to gain an international perspective:

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/google-facebook-twitter-apple-and-others-threaten-to-leave-pakistan-over-new-content-censorship-law-6144431.html

https://www.openforum.com.au/is-trolling-freedom-of-speech/

*Pro and Con article links to read and consider/ include for the discussion:

https://connectusfund.org/17-freedom-of-speech-pros-and-cons

https://theflag.org/glossary/freedom-of-speech-pros-and-cons-what-both-sides-think/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6LOo_Ome-AIVqhNMCh0jagCrEAAYASAAEgLFFPD_BwE

https://prosancons.com/government/pros-and-cons-of-freedom-of-speech/

*Pre-pandemic article to compare with the present state of ethics and freedom of speech affairs online today:

https://medium.com/@dianahoteit/trolling-where-does-freedom-of-speech-begin-and-end-6dcdc03fbf8c

*Graphic Content Article:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/the-unsafety-net-how-social-media-turned-against-women/381261/

*Below are quotes to either consider or provide answers to in your discussion posts:

1. "How fortunate for government that the people they administer do not think."

-Who said the above?Hint:His first official act in public office was to eliminate the right to free expression.

2.https://shenandoahliterary.org/blog/2017/08/first-they-came-by-martin-niemoller/

3. "It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own."

Herbert Hoover

4. "The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen."

Tommy Smothers

5. "If large numbers of people believe in freedom of speech, there will be freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it. But if public opinion is sluggish, inconvenient minorities will be persecuted, even if laws exist to protect them. "

George Orwell

6. "Freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have, or the views they express, or the words they speak or write."

Hugo L. Black

****Remember to provide in-text citations for each quote****