Facebook and freedom of speech

[thir]

Apparently there is an ongoing discussion on Facebook between various users on Facebook among themselves, and between these groups and Facebook. To me this spells another bit of the puzzle in the question about freedom of speech.

1) Pictures of breast-feeding women have been removed by Facebook, which has been protested against by a group of women.
http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/12/30/breaking-it-down-for-facebook/

2) Pictures of two men kissing (dressed) have been removed by Facebook.
http://www.care2.com/causes/photo-of-two-men-kissing-removed-from-facebook.html

3) Pages that joke about rape or violence against women are demanded taken away by groups of women, this has not happended.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/30/facebook-refuses-pull-rape-jokepages?newsfeed=true

How much can Facebook control what is posted? Everything? Are there no freedom of speech laws in a place like FAcebook?

I would be interested to know what the list thinks of the various problems that has arisen about what people post.

[StrictMasterD]

At least right now, til they go with their IPO, Facebook IS A PRIVATE not Publicly owned Company and I would presume right or wrong that as long as they remain Pria vvte they can set their own rules
Like some Restuarants in Arizona that have sign as you go in "We speak ONLY English here"
Guess Marck Z can limit whar he wants to on Facebook, lets see what happens when it goes pub;ic, almost any Resturant you go to you may find a sign on the dpor or by the front that says "WE reserve the right o refuse ayone serve" as a Private entity they do, none of this mentioned is either in support of or not supporting what Facebook i doing, but the reality is they are a PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY

[Thorne]

Personally, I don't really care what Facebook does. If you don't like it, don't use them. I don't. I've never been able to understand why ANYONE would want to put every aspect of their lives out on public display. Especially after learning of all the privacy issues involved in every one of the so-called social networking sites. Hardly a week goes by when you don't read about someone who's life has become totally FUBAR'ed because of things they revealed on Facebook, or Twitter, or some other site.

So if you aren't happy about what Facebook allows or does not allow, cancel your membership. And let them know WHY you are cancelling. And let all your friends know why you're cancelling, too. If enough people do that they'll figure it out, eventually.

[thir]

Personally, I don't really care what Facebook does. If you don't like it, don't use them. I don't. I've never been able to understand why ANYONE would want to put every aspect of their lives out on public display. Especially after learning of all the privacy issues involved in every one of the so-called social networking sites. Hardly a week goes by when you don't read about someone who's life has become totally FUBAR'ed because of things they revealed on Facebook, or Twitter, or some other site.

So if you aren't happy about what Facebook allows or does not allow, cancel your membership. And let them know WHY you are cancelling. And let all your friends know why you're cancelling, too. If enough people do that they'll figure it out, eventually.

I do not use them, but as they are such a widely used space I find it interesting what happens there.

I find it ties in with other places and ways in which freedom of speech is shown, discussed or used.
So, the feeling here is that if you own something as big as Facebook, you set your own limits for freedom of speech?

[lucy]

So, the feeling here is that if you own something as big as Facebook, you set your own limits for freedom of speech?
Yes. Facebook isn't about freedom of speech. It isn't about expressing yourself. It isn't about having a jolly good time on the net.
It might be all of that for the (deluded) users. For the owners it's about money, money, money and then money again.

[Thorne]

Yes. Facebook isn't about freedom of speech. It isn't about expressing yourself. It isn't about having a jolly good time on the net.
It might be all of that for the (deluded) users. For the owners it's about money, money, money and then money again.
You say that like it's a bad thing! If you build a better mousetrap, don't you deserve to be rewarded? And if there are enough fools out there to keep buying your mousetrap, why is it considered bad for you to charge them for it?

Let's face it, the most altruistic person in the world, after developing a product that half the people in the world want to use, isn't going to give that product away.