The internet and social media under attack by the ruling elite - they must remain free, in a free society

Foreign Affair: Diversity of opinion and criticism of political decisions, whether domestic or foreign in origin, lie at the very heart of free speech. Labeling such criticism as an attack on democracy implies that democratically elected leaders’ policies and priorities should be insulated from scrutiny. Although Merz and others have described their efforts as targeting the “enemies of an open and liberal society,” their proposed prohibitions bear a striking resemblance to policies of illiberal regimes who use control of the Internet to retain power and throttle dissent. It is no accident that real-name identification rules are enforced in China, Iran, Russia, and Vietnam

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My Opinion: The attempts by the Europeans to censor free speech on the internet, to say the least is disheartening. Legacy media is controlled by the authorities and business interests. Free and independent media plays a crucial role in democracy. And in any kind of society where people have power, like anarchy. Without the free flow of information, there is greater assymetry in power. Social media has a key role to play in any free society. Unfortunately social media is under attack by the authorities and expert, and for the wrong reasons. Because the social media platform and businesses have been infiltrated by the authorities and and their agents.

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Yet, social media is the last line of defense against tyranny and disinformation by the ruling elite. It must not be brought under government control and censored. People should be free to express their opinions, however radical or extreme or revolutionar.