“There once was a dream…” Wait. “The internet represents the last bastion for the pure exchange of ideas…” Too fluffy. “The legions of power hungry decrepit zealots disguised as visionary software engineers uniting humanity in building a digital infrastructure furtively based on control…” That is more like it!
The privacy-gate prodigious global scandal revealing the true intent of the internet giants in exploiting account holders and garishly crunching the date to influence politics and impede opposing beliefs is a mere appetizer to the latest ghastly salvo of shots fired against the concept of free expression in the hypothetical decentralized landscape of the digital expanse. No, the internet is not protected by the First Amendment, as private entities can dictate policy, and no, the once idealistic notion of a universal concept of freedom transcending even the basic tenets of a 230-year-old document is a complete farce and perverted by the intoxicating quest for ultimate power.
Hiding behind contracted editorial teams, ever changing community standards fitting a narrative, and the ambiguous software policing “bots” programmed with mysterious and biased algorithms, the collective brass of the email service and social networking spectrum, are becoming exceedingly bold in brutally paring certain individuals with contrarian viewpoints from the online tree of existence. In a few quick keystrokes, one can simply disappear from the current internet reality on the universe of platform, only to have their profile held hostage in an obscure server and under heavy lock and key.
The latest dissident to endure the scorn of the billion dollar nerd leaders, is none other than the beloved Alex Jones of Infowars fame. Jones, who is well known for his stance that the 9-11 attack was orchestrated by the US government, was banished from Google, YouTube, F***book, and Apple among others, according to US News & World Report. The internet face of conspiracy theories apparently violated user policy on each of the sites, including the perpetuating violence, in drawing full ire of moderators with the suspension and removal of various Infowar’s affiliated accounts.
Disturbingly, Jone’s personal politics and opinions were also cited as reasons for the termination of profiles, videos, and posts, a frightening development considering the aforementioned original vision of the internet, in providing a virtually unregulated forum for discussion. The new premise which applies to posting follows this menacing warning, “Post anything you like, but if we don’t agree with it, you will be struck down.” (Unfortunately, this should keep the mainstream media on a leash.) The decadent insincerity emanating from the self-righteous tendencies of Silicon Valley, is quite apparent and illustrated by the fact that Jones breached the end-user agreement in posting brutal content, however YouTube trains its video policing staff to allow the sickening streaming violence of an adult administering a horrific thrashing to a toddler. This example of inconsistent enforcement of policy and countless other public indiscretions, It just doesn’t make any sense, unless there in fact exists an ominous and unrelenting bias, vile and present within the leadership of the software industry.
As digital corporations continue to play politics and forward an agenda, the fate of the Jones of the world, will become more of a frequent occurrence, especially with the 2020 presidential election just beyond the horizon. In a move that smacks of desperation, even among a community where the club of billionaires can afford to keep and ace legal team perpetually employed, lawmakers in the US and the EU are well aware of the furtive and illegal actions undertaken by the various platforms in the mishandling of personal information, and strict regulations will soon change the current framework user data is processed and the latitudes afforded in mining the information.
If popular renegade Alex Jones can go down, then anyone and everyone is now susceptible to the mechanized actions of the “thought police” in deftly engineering an electronic regimented nightmare populated by billions of minions and a handful of soulless masters. The “free’ internet is anything but, and things will continue to get worse, before a collective shot of common sense sweeps through society.
Smart phone, self-driving cars, social network, and drones… you make the choice.