Big tech have crossed rubicon on free speech

The internet is a haven for anyone to say and broadcast whatever lurks in their mind. But in the wake of violence that engulfed the US Capitol this week, tech companies hosting social media platforms are rethinking their hands-off posture to moderating content on their platforms.

For years, large tech companies avoided debates regarding content moderation by claiming to be content-neutral, thereby allowing all kinds of content to be splashed on their platforms. They wield power, political connections, and enjoy monopolistic tendencies.

These companies have come under fire for being too permissive to incendiary speech that can lead to physical violence or illegal activity. They have some sort of a blank cheque to do what they want and, in the process, rake in billions of dollars in profits, more than enough to pay for fines that courts award when they are sued.

On many occasions, politicians attempted to rein in on them, but they always hit a brick wall. Breaking up monopolies has been done with banks and other companies — but has proven a herculean task for the big tech.

The riots that rocked Capitol— the building complex that houses both the Senate and the Congress of the United States— was the proverbial crossing of the Rubicon. It prompted many to demand that inciters, organisers, or approvers of violence be denied a platform from which to spread their message that compromise public safety.

Unrestrained media

President Trump is notorious for unmetered speech. In the latest incident that left five people dead at the Capitol, the rioters had left a mammoth rally called by President Trump, who urged his followers to "fight for the country" and "show courage."

In the run up to the rally, social media had been used to galvanise and organise Trump followers for the activities that would follow.

Bowing to pressure, Twitter and Facebook suspended President Trump's access to his biggest online megaphones — Twitter. Facebook removed the president's account and his accounts on multiple other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Apple, Google, and Amazon also cut off Parler, a popular social media site rich with Trump supporters. Amazon kicked Parler off its cloud computing service, effectively forcing it to shut down completely.

The unrest underscores how unrestrained media can directly foment violence, just as it did in Rwanda in 1994. Kenya’s elections are almost always tarnished by violence, and in next year's election, social media platforms will be an important place to watch, particularly for content that could fan the flames of hate and foment violence.

Dire events always force societies to consider tradeoffs between freedom and security. Curtailing the freedom of speech goes against the tenets of progressive societies but is sometimes necessary to save lives.

Wambugu is an informatician. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @samwambugu2