Google explains why it banned the app for Gab, a right-wing Twitter rival

[workinclasszero]

Google explains why it banned the app for Gab, a right-wing Twitter rival
Gab's free-speech stance makes it popular with right-wing trolls and racists.
TIMOTHY B. LEE - 8/18/2017, 1:15 PM

When right-wing trolls and outright racists get kicked off of Twitter, they often move to Gab, a Twitter competitor.

Gab was founded by Donald Trump supporter Andrew Torba, who says it's devoted to unfettered free expression online.

This week, Andrew Anglin, editor of the neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer, became an active Gab user after a succession of Internet companies refused service to his website, forcing it offline. The site also hosts controversial right-wing trolls like Milo Yiannopoulos and Andrew "weev" Auernheimer.

On Thursday, Gab said that Google had banned its Android app from the Google Play Store for violating Google's ban on hate speech.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/gab-the-right-wing-twitter-rival-just-got-its-app-banned-by-google/

[MineralMan]

1. I like the idea of private companies removing platforms

that are being used for hate speech. They're well within their rights to do so, since freedom of speech only applies to government restrictions on speech.

So, unhosting hate web sites and blocking applications that are being widely used for hate speech seem like reasonable responses by companies like Google and hosting companies like GoDaddy.

Take away their platforms and let them put a soapbox in the public square, where they have to actually face the public.

[workinclasszero]

3. I agree

The government cannot restrict free speech but if I go to my place of employment for example and start spewing out racist hate speech they would fire me ASAP.

And rightly so.

The republicans/libertarians/klan/nazi whatever cannot force private businesses to allow their hate, on their sites, in their buildings, in any form.

[MineralMan]

4. Exactly!

[dalton99a]

2. Good.