When Facebook justified its ban of "far right" figures with the statement that the network has "always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate," it did two things that are morally wrong. First, it conflated violence and "hate." Speech is not violence, has never been violence and will never be violence. "Hate" is a subjective term, far too often used by both Left and Right to mean "something I disagree with." By doing this, Facebook downplays the seriousness of real violence against real people.
The Facebook purge, revisited
The Facebook purge, revisited
The Facebook purge, revisited
When Facebook justified its ban of "far right" figures with the statement that the network has "always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate," it did two things that are morally wrong. First, it conflated violence and "hate." Speech is not violence, has never been violence and will never be violence. "Hate" is a subjective term, far too often used by both Left and Right to mean "something I disagree with." By doing this, Facebook downplays the seriousness of real violence against real people.