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[–] Tallest_Skil 0 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Youtube is a private company.

Not anymore. Not only does Google receive government subsidies (which isn’t directly relevant to the main point), the combination of Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter controls all human discourse in ways never before seen in history. What they allow is the sum total of what information the vast majority of people can access AT ALL. They no longer have the power to censor ANYTHING.

EDIT: Excuse me, not power–right. They certainly have the power, but no longer have the right to censor anything as they are FULLY public avenues of discourse, indeed for the entire fucking world.

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[–] raisinade 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

I am sick of these libertarian retards. "Hur, they're a private company, they have every right to shut off my gas and electricity in the middle of winter causing me to freeze to death." Bullshit, that is a loser attitude, there is precedent that private companies that provide essential services are not allowed to do this sort of thing. In the 21st century Google is the public square and it should be forced to adhere to the first amendment.

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[–] Gamio 1 point -1 points (+0|-1) ago 

I don't think its fair to expect Google to hold up to the first amendment since they'll just win outright, first amendment has been tested in court before now and Google would win very early on because its fairly cut and dry language and legal precedents.

Google might not win a high profile anti discrimination court case though, thats really where they wouldn't be able to prove they are not acting with a clear bias. They would point to their terms of service as carte blanche "we can host who we want" but you can't sign away your legal rights in such an agreement so if it were ever truly tested they would be forced to admit they act with bias.

Looking at the shit thats been happening lately they would probably try to claim their actions are nothing but them acting in the publics best interest and find some way to continue doing what they are doing.

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[–] Subtenko 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

and if its a private company (google owns it) then why does google have information on people whether they want it or not and whether they uploaded it or not? Seems like google is doing enough to be considered public by now?

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[–] Tsilent_Tsunami 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Their dominance has been so successful that they're now a monopoly that needs to be regulated, at least to the extent that they can't ban legal content or creators.