Uganda bans Twitter, what are your thoughts?

[disgustingweebtrash]

I have a thought

I have no thought

[Aethereal]

That line from twitter is ironic considering they recently banned Trump, thus violating the principles of basic human rights and open internet. It blows my mind every time how hypocrites can't see their own b******t when it's so clear. I don't much like Trump but Twitter (and facebook) crossed a huge line by taking it upon themselves to ban somebody they don't like (since there are tons of people on there spewing hate speech and making death threats without getting banned).

Their credibility is damaged in my eyes. Their actions are an indirect defense of censorship of media by governments. It makes sense now that a country would seek to limit social media considering how it's owners now believe they have the right to interfere in politics.

[NYCQuestions1976]

I'm always against censorship, period. However, that doesn't preclude me from finding the irony both interesting and funny. More importantly, if Twitter is banned in Uganda, how will they be able to read this? It's from Wednesday, 5/17/2021. Notice there's no disclaimer or warning:

Dancing Nancy must have brain freeze from all of that designer ice cream.

You reap what you sow. Oh well whatever. Apparently, it is what it is.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

So much win in your post. I also love how her twitter picture looks like it is 20 years old and not the wrinkly Nancy we all know

[NYCQuestions1976]

@SuccessfulHornDog Designer ice cream also accelerates the aging process. 👍

[NYCQuestions1976]

Edit: I meant to type "2017" (which is clear in the tweet), not "2021". My bad.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

She must eat a lot of it then. While wearing her mask of course

[NYCQuestions1976]

@SuccessfulHornDog I'm happy with vanilla bean chocolate chip cookie dough.

[NYCQuestions1976]

Thanks for Most Helpful. 👍

[The_Sal]

did crazy Nancy really say that?
I don't have Twitter so 🤷‍♂️

[The_Sal]

watch the dems are only going to show the fraudulent couple thousand trump ballots and not mentions the million Democrat fraud ballots, 😭😂

[NYCQuestions1976]

@The_Sal Yes, on May 17th, 2017.

I don't have Twitter either. You can see public profiles without having an account.

[Newhead]

Maybe they don't want it to influence the elections but if they keep it shut down forever then damn them this is an outrage. Let's go over there and fix it, are you ready Trash? Together we can save the world.

[disgustingweebtrash]

I'm ready to take up arms for Uganda

[Newhead]

We should do it, Uganda didn't do sht to deserve this and we're not going to take it.

[The_Sal]

they didn't do anything. THEY BANNED TWITTER Twitter didn't ban them. they know how toxic Twitter is

[lovelyhoneybones]

I don't live in Uganda so I don't care. Rip to their people though.

[Madhatter920]

I assume you're trying to compare the shut down of free speech to the shutdown of conspiracy, misinformation, and terrorist plots that would be found on Parler, which are not protected by free speech. That's a false equivalency argument, if that is what you were intending to make.

[disgustingweebtrash]

How does leather taste?

[kingofthellamas]

So many of the former colonies are in a bad shape since the British left. Take a look at what's happend to Hong Kong since the brits returned it to China. Uganda is another good example. Uganda would be so much better today if they had kept British rule. Sure, the British were a foreign ruler - but by the standards of the day they were much better than the Dutch, Spanish or French. I'm tempted to say similar for the USA too, but I think we can forgive a few growing pains from such a young nation.

[WindAtMyBack]

They are smart. The rest of the world should follow suit.

Social media is so extremely destructive. Shutting it down would only be a start since there are other things that should be done, but a start is a start.

[sadMeester]

Pretty supportive of censorship aren't you?

[WindAtMyBack]

@sadMeester

It's not censorship. There was no such thing as social media throughout thousands of years of human history. There was not even any such thing throughout most of my life. That doesn't mean people were being censored. People have a right to say their mind, but nobody is under any obligation to provide the means to do that. Just because I don't give you a free printing press, doesn't mean I've violated your right to free press.

[sadMeester]

If you tear down my paper at the posting board then you're censoring me.

[bolverk]

More power to Uganda they know that Twitter is being used to influence elections in their country don't blame them from banning it, funny how Twitter is only interested in #openinternet when it is its service that's being effected. Maybe more countries should do the same!

[cnhinton]

I think it's too much.

But I do think we should force tech companies to ban fake news and filter bubbles.

And we should bring back the fairness doctrine.

There's so much contradictory info and the government should honestly step in (I know this sounds Orwellian) to force news companies to be neutral and objective.

This division is getting bad and it threatens societal cohesion and stability.

[MCheetah]

How is Uganda less corrupt than America right now? Also, Twitter/Reddit (they're the same people) are some of the worst internet users out there. Good for Uganda.

[Floppy2112]

I don't blame them. Outside influences in a country's election is a bad thing. They know twitter is poisonous to their democracy. We should be so smart.

[crmoore]

Whether the person deserved it or not, if Twitter holds the right to ban a Ugandan person's speech (it was directly before or during the election, right?), why shouldn't Uganda have the right to ban Twitter from operating there?

[Lynx122]

How is twitter saying the open internet is important when they do censorship themselves?

[OddBeMe]

Yeah, that’s the sign of authoritarian govt. Twitter banning a politician? Sign that person is authoritarian.

[disgustingweebtrash]

But Uganda is a country, why doesn't Twitter go make their own Uganda?

[OddBeMe]

You think Twitter wants to make it’s own country?

[Gravit1]

That's funny, so when they suppress our President and the Truth during our Elections it's Justice, but when another country suppresses them it's injustice.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

I don't know anything about the country in this regard. I am curious to know why they are doing it. What the official reason is vs what the real reason might be (if they are different)

[genericname85]

yeah i agree with that. those platform are creating their own manipulative and distorted reality that i think is pretty bad.

[kkirk4442]

I have no problem with twitter banning anyone who foments violence.

[JackSmy]

Glad I don't live in that shithole!!
But the same can happen here, in the US. . .

[AMonthOfAugust]

People have the rights to be able to express their opinions anywhere... even places like twitter... I guess

[EssenceOfLight]

Twitter has the right to block everyone but no one has right to block twitter. Isn't this behavior hypocritical?

[sadMeester]

The issue is twitter is a private business. They have a right to block people and they give reasons.

Uganda is a shithole nation whose reason for blocking twitter is something they themselves violate. Uganda also has bigger issues to worry about, like how people still hunt gays there.

[NamerOfStars]

Well, my first thought is that Uganda is clearly a more level-headed and sensible place than I'd given it credit for- but then I wonder WHY they're doing this. That could change quite a bit.

[andreasderjuengere]

I take that as a joke.
But I get what it tries to say.

[Deathraider]

I mean I think it’s just wrong. People should be able to use social media and it’s violating basic rights the people have.

[bamesjond0069]

Good for them. Id like to see countries and local governments make them illegal.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

You're a pro censorship Libertarian?

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator no. Im anti government propped up business conservative. I wish they would force companies to either be a publisher OR a platform. Why should facebook have more legal protections than a newspaper? They are using the excessive protections to cause trouble so obviously its too much.

Ideally they will decide to be a platform in which case they do not ban anything except actionable criminal activity. (Not stuff that is fake criminal activity that wouldn't go to court) OR they will be a publisher and are liable for all the content on their site and should edit the content as they see fit. But if they have "bamesjond0069 is a felon" on facebook i should be able to sue them for defamation in court since they are responsible for editing.

Short of government making a common sense logic change to the law at the federal level, local governments and foreign governments should ban them from doing business in their jurisdictions if they dont like what they are doing.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

"Why should facebook have more legal protections than a newspaper?"
Because trolls would be a serious problem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUWIi-Ppe5k&t=4s

And it's a lack of government involvement that conservatives pushed for that allowed these tech giants to have so much power:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZLXA_BuesY

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator well having excessive protections doesn't seem very "lack of government" to me. Republicans do not equal conservatives.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Protections from legal consequences imposed by the government is very in line with a lack of government.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator how so? Seems opposite to me.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Why? It's the government involved less in social media?

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator if the government was involved less then they wouldn't have a special law that specially treats them differently than every other business?

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Because then they couldn't platform as much content without fear of lawsuits but if there was no moderation trollers and spammers would discourage too many people from using the site.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator and? How is that a concern of the government? If they don't have a sustainable business model they should work on making it better or they should just accept they will be a smaller more niche company.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Because exchange of information is the concern of society (and thus government). And before you say that's a justification for forced platforming; it's not. It's a justification to enact anti-trust laws.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator social media as it exists today is not a right. If its not feasible to exist it shouldn't exist. No big deal. Somehow we still had freedom of speech before facebook.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

We don't need it but the regulations make it more conducive to the free exchange of information.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator ok but that is government intervention. I dont believe in artificially inflated businesses because im a conservative. So that means no fb or amazon or walmart etc. They need to fuction under the same rules taxes etc as joes corner store.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Without government involvement in the economy it's going to get a lot worse for pretty much everyone; lack of government involvement in the economy is why the third world looks the way that it does. Could the government do more to help the population as a whole than big corporations? Absolutely (although a better way to accomplish that end would be to support worker co-ops versus small businesses) but that's not to say that things wouldn't be way shittier with the government taking a hands off approach.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator i mean to a minor degree yes but the government should not be picking winners. If facebook is not sustainable let it fail so others can try instead of protecting a shitty company doing shitty things.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

Section 230 applies to all tech companies big and small. But the reason that the tech giants are as powerful as they are now is because the right prevented anti-trust laws from being used to curtail their hegemony. Now the American right reaps what they sowed.

[bamesjond0069]

@Ad_Quid_Orator i dont think the "right" wanted it. Like i said conservatives are not for special protections for big business out of principle. Its more centrist uniparty that want that shit. Those that are Republicans we call RINOs.

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

They didn't want it but it was a consequence of their actions. Sometimes you lose control of the monsters you create and they turn on you.

[Juxtapose]

Good! Twitter is just a propaganda outlet for the global elites anyway.

[AllThatSweetJazz]

I mean, is anyone surprised... by Uganda or Twitter?

[Rob17792]

good twitter sucks and jack dorsey is a piece of shit

[not329446]

I think they have the right to do whatever they want.

[darkcloud1945]

A fourth rate nation did what we could not. L. M. B. O.

[beefy40]

Smart, since Twitter openly interferes with elections and democracy.

[Jean-Marie_Céline]

I'd ban it too to be honest.

[Wise4myage]

Good. Fuck Twitter, I wish more countries did the same.

[courtney06]

I don't like Twitter anyway.

[CapitalismFailed]

I have a thought. Fuck Uganda, that's my thought.

[disgustingweebtrash]

Capitalism failed but supports.. a transnational corporation?

[CapitalismFailed]

Say what?

[_no_one_]

Wakanda Forever.
Twitter is fucked up anyways.

[JCT666]

Twitter should be shutdown all over.

[loveslongnails]

It's a totalitarian regime... what did you expect?

[Imuglyandiknowit]

another backwards country

[JoyGirl]

Ummm... wtf? lol

[disgustingweebtrash]

Come we must become Ugandan freedom fighters together

[JoyGirl]

Bet... lmao
When are we heading over there? XD

[disgustingweebtrash]

Tomorrow, the militia will meet us and give us our Kalashnikovs, they went a step too far this time, they have hell to pay

[JoyGirl]

Good.
Will there be food, tho? :3

[disgustingweebtrash]

Yeah they're rationing Jollof rice, is it any good?

[JoyGirl]

You rememberrrrrrrr :o
I also want chicken added to that. 😌

[disgustingweebtrash]

Jollof rice with a bit of chicken uwu I have never had jollof rice myself tho

[JoyGirl]

Dw, doughnut. I will cook it for ya, one day.
*pat pat* 😌

[disgustingweebtrash]

I would like to eat your cooking

[JoyGirl]

Aweeeee 💜💜💜

[Travis_Skyles]

I support uganda in this action.

[msc545]

Doesn't matter to me.

[Jjpayne]

Interesting 🤔

[TeeBar]

Meh...

[Iron_Man]

Good Job Uganda

[OfDeath]

VPN.

[AFellowWeeb]

What is... twatter?

[joeldalton]

hilarious

[Joker_]

I'm without thought

[CT_CD]

I have no thought