this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
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From age and ID restrictions on the Internet, to charging rappers with “terrorism,” the U.K. is demolishing the most basic civil liberties. If we let them, U.S. leaders may be close behind.

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[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 10 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

So, the only free speech you care about is one that gives you freedom to be a biggot, a racist, or some other petty hater?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 5 points 7 hours ago

That is an integral part of free speech, yes. Germany is arresting anti-genocide activists on trumped up hate speech charges right as we speak, so yeah.

[–] Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Free speech must include all speech including the hateful one simply because “hateful” can be manipulated to mean anything.

Pro-Palestine is an example that was given already. But others might also say that being pro abortion is hateful speech. You might disagree but whoever is in the power is the one that gets to define what hateful means. And that’s why free speech must shelter hateful speech as well.

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I'm a bit torn on this, because it looks like doxxing someone or driving them to suicide on-line should also be considered free speech and protected.

Although maybe it's more about the fact that you may be held accountable for what you say but can't be banned from saying it? But then again all the protesters would be prosecuted the same way.

In the end, I think the problem with hate-speech law enforcement is in the ones who do the enforcement and not in the fact that these laws exist. As far as I know, pretty much every law can be stretched enough to oppress someone if you're hellbent on doing that and have a broken law enforcement (which seems rather common nowadays)

[–] Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works 0 points 6 hours ago

If someone commits suicide because of online words from a stranger then they were not mentally well in the first place, and maybe shouldn’t be online at all but rather getting help. Doxxing is not quite free speech? It’s an action taken against an individual. Free speech for example doesn’t grant people the ability to accuse you of crimes Willy nilly, if they do so they are liable for defamation.

But that’s neither here nor there, platforms as private spaces have a right to limit free speech as much as they want. I don’t think it’s good for society when they use that power too strictly, and the fact that they did for about a decade I think it’s one of the main causes of the rise of the alt right, but it’s a right the platforms have. Just like you can kick someone out of your house for saying something you don’t like. When one says free speech what is meant is that someone in a public space can say whatever they want, be it hateful or not.