@Seadna O’Grady: Before the Internet, do you think that print newspapers had a duty to publish every single letter that was sent to them? Was it ‘censorship’ if they didn’t?

@Seadna O’Grady: Some people now seem to think that they have a ‘right’ for their opinions to be seen all the time, everywhere, by everyone. Of course no such right exists.

@Mary Kelly: What is ‘woke’?

Isn’t it really just a trigger word for those that want to be able to put others downand keep them there?

@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: The irony is that the people who criticise ‘woke’ are the very ones who place their feelings above facts. They’re scared of everyone who isn’t just like them.

@Brendan O’Brien: Oh, I think it’s more that that.

They seem to be those who want to be able, or think they have the right, to force others to live as they want them to.

They have an authoritarian – a right wing – mindset.
While simultaneously seeming to think they believe in freedom.
But it is really only freedom is for themselves; other only have the ‘freedom’ to do as instructed.

@Brendan O’Brien: No, of course they didn’t, because the media was controlled by a small number of individuals in each country, that had an allegiance to a particular ideology and or religious hierarchy that held power, and any media outlet, print, radio or television that spoke out was shutdown through whatever means were available.

Either by using the law to shut them down as unlicensed, in breach of planning, engaging in the corruption of the youth by their content, i.e., types of music that would allegedly corrupt them or alternative lifestyle/political discussions that might make them consider that perhaps things could be different in their countries.

The Internet was a new frontier in which none of that censorship existed, free and frank discussion and expression of alternative views meant people could really talk, and find out how others think and often find that despite their differences, they had many things in common that united them.

While this open internet and free instantaneous communications served the interests of the powerful, i.e. destabilising regimes they had an issue with such as during the arab spring, it was heralded as wonderful and that any negatives, such as illegal content or extremists spreading hatred, were outweighed by the many positives, such as subjugated groups and individuals being able to speak out against tyranny and regimes which were themselves using censorship to control and silence all dissent.

The issues of illegal content and extremists online were targeted directly through their servers and hosting rather than shutting down or censoring the Internet entirely, which would have also silence the free discussions and dissent.

Over the last few years that the free Internet has become at odds with the interests of the powerful, holding them to account, questioning their authority and organising dissent against them, there a coordinated attempt to apply online, the very same version global and state censorship in the hands of a minority that existed pre Internet, on the false premise that it is now required to tackle illegal content and extremists online…

@Termaz FX: I get what you’re saying but as you know the Internet is a very adult world,a place where kids should not be hanging out in. A lot different from listening to Slayer in your mates bedroom.

@Termaz FX: Which experts were “discussing” Satanism?

Church “Authorities”?

Which does not change the simple truth that there *is* pedophiles and other abusers who currently use Social Media to put kids into harm’s way.

The former was simple nonsense.
The latter is very real.

@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: By your own admission, children were put at risk and brought into contact with pedophiles long before the internet existed, and by individuals and organisations that were purported to care for them, church, sports organisations and youth organisations.

Social media isn’t an alternative virtual reality, despite the claims and perception that it is, it’s part of the real world populated by the same people as the rest of the world and unfortunately some of those people are pedophiles, rap*sts and murders.

We educate our children to navigate the real world and most parents take an active interest in what their children do, where they go and whom they associate with on a daily basis, the internet is no different, this doesn’t mean you have to look over their shoulder constantly, but it does mean that you need to talk to them about the potential dangers, what is acceptable and your expectations of them, their behaviour online and most important of all, that they can talk to you about anything that is bothering them and that you will be there for them no matter what.

@Mary Kelly: It absolutely is the job of the government to correctly regulate what social media companies are allowed to do.
Very easy blame parents and yes that it’s the first line of defence but proper rules and regulations are required.

@Mary Kelly: Unfortunately lots of bad parents out there.

@Mary Kelly: parents have subcontracted their responsibilities to the state and are happy to do so.

@Brendan O’Brien: Good morning factor 50