[NCAC] PRIVATE CENSORSHIP – FIGHTING SUPPRESSION OF SPEECH BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS

a conservative defends Nicki Minaj against Twitter censorship

https://ethicsalarms.com/2021/09/18/stop-making-me-defend-nicki-minaj/

 

TikTok Reportedly Censors Pro-Rittenhouse Video as “Hate Speech”

https://jonathanturley.org/2021/12/...censors-pro-rittenhouse-video-as-hate-speech/

 

Will Justice Sotomayor Be Banned On Twitter? Don’t Bet On It.

https://jonathanturley.org/2022/01/10/will-justice-sotomayor-be-banned-on-twitter-dont-bet-on-it/

 

philosophers just doing their job

YouTube pulls "Brain in a Vat" episode featuring Kershnar
This captures pretty well the dystopian circumstances we live in: YouTube has removed the podcast with philosopher Stephen Kershnar (on a well-established series, Brain in a Vat, whose proprietors alerted me to this) because it violated "community guidelines," especially those concerning "child safety":

We have zero tolerance for predatory behaviour on YouTube. Content that sexualises minors in any way is not allowed on YouTube.​

This is beyond absurd: a philosophical question about sexual mores does not "sexualize" anyone. Sexual arousal is about the last reaction anyone could have to any episode of Brain in a Vat.

Posted by Brian Leiter on February 03, 2022 at 07:51 PM
​

at https://leiterreports.typepad.com/b...rain-in-a-vat-episode-featuring-kershnar.html

following up on an earlier report:

SUNY Fredonia philosophy professor under attack for doing philosophy
The trouble arose from his appearance on the excellent Brain in a Vat show, and has led the clueless Fredonia President to announce there will be an "investigation." I gather F.I.R.E. has already offered to help Professor Kershnar, a philosopher who frequently defends contrarian views on a range of applied ethics questions.

UPDATE: A strong letter from the AFA to SUNY-Fredonia.

ANOTHER: The Fredonia President is now asking to be sued by Pofessor Kershnar; the President's latest message to the community below the fold:

I am writing to provide you with an update on the matter involving one of our professors interviewed in a widely shared video podcast. We will continue to investigate this situation. In the meantime, effective immediately and until further notice, the professor is being assigned to duties that do not include his physical presence on campus and will not have contact with students while the investigation is ongoing.

Please allow me to reiterate my earlier statement that I view the content of the video as absolutely abhorrent. I cannot stress strongly enough that the independent viewpoints of this individual professor are in no way representative of the values of the SUNY Fredonia campus.

I appreciate your patience as we make every effort to resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible.

Sincerely,

Stephen H. Kolison, Jr. Ph.D.

President and Professor​

I'm not sure Kolison's lack of understanding of the First Amendment and academic freedom rises to the level of being "abhorrent," but he is certainly incompetent at his job. I was struck by the fact that he signs off as a "Ph.D.," which actual scholars don't do. The Ph.D. is in Forest Economics. I'm sure that is a worthy topic of study, but it does not seem to have provided him with much understanding of the values of the academy.

Brian Leiter on February 03, 2022 at 08:50 AM
​

at https://leiterreports.typepad.com/b...fessor-under-attack-for-doing-philosophy.html

 

followup

 

Open letter from faculty to SUNY-Fredonia President about the Kershnar case

https://leiterreports.typepad.com/b...edonia-president-about-the-kershnar-case.html

 

I noticed this week that in a big bold stroke for freedom, Facebook will allow hate speech against Russia and Russians.

 

no problem. private companies can do anything they want.

 

no problem. private companies can do what they want

Meta is paying a Republican consulting firm to 'turn the public against' TikTok

https://theweek.com/meta/1011943/me...ulting-firm-to-turn-the-public-against-tiktok

excerpt:

The firm Targeted Victory has been working to "undermine" TikTok by implementing a national media and lobbying campaign that places "op-eds and letters to the editor in major regional news outlets, promoting dubious stories about alleged TikTok trends that actually originated on Facebook," the Post writes. The firm has also been pushing political reporters and local politicians to move against TikTok, Facebook's biggest competitor.
​

more at the link