In today’s day and age, censorship is being far too common. We like to boast about our freedom of speech, but oftentimes major companies or groups try to silence freedom of speech if it doesn’t line up with their agenda or viewpoints. With the growing popularity of the internet, we tend to see censorship through the eyes of social media. It seems that the larger the platform, the more influence they have on silencing freedom of speech.
A modern example of censorship would be on the platform used by millions, YouTube. While originally being advertised as a website where anybody can share their opinions and videos, in recent years this has not been the case. Many people get their channels blocked or demonetized simply for having a differing opinion from the creators of YouTube, while still following their terms of service. In an age where being an internet star can be a legitimate job, this inhibits certain individuals from making money or a living. An example of this is found when a YouTuber penalized for making a factual video on the Holocaust. This is just one small example, but it’s happening everywhere on the platform, thus inhibiting free speech.
Another common platform that has been scrutinized recently for their censorship of free speech is Twitter. After a first glance it seems like just another social media website, but in the last few years there has been a lot of drama involved. An example of this was when a high profile figure was banned from the site, and the following was said by a spokesperson: “The individuals depicted in this video were speaking in a personal capacity and do not represent or speak for Twitter.” While this choice does fall under the rights of these companies, it’s also okay for people to speak negatively about said companies if they disagree.
