You can't claim to be a public forum and enjoy the legal protections thereof for content that is posted if you moderate opinions and act like a publisher.
You should lose your safe harbor status and people should be able to seek punitive damages for criminal or civilly damaging content if you act like a publisher just like any person or media outlet.
You're either a public forum or a publisher making editorial decisions. Pick a lane and stay in it, not just when it's convenient.
Telephone companies are private entities. They do not market themselves as public forums, but they are categorically open to the public (and multi-person conversations). Woe betide any phone company that attempts to control a person's speech over the phone.
The parallel is exact. Phone companies cannot interfere with conversations because they are a platform, not a publisher. Should they, there would be legal hell to pay.
You can't claim to be a public forum and enjoy the legal protections thereof for content that is posted if you moderate opinions and act like a publisher.
You should lose your safe harbor status and people should be able to seek punitive damages for criminal or civilly damaging content if you act like a publisher just like any person or media outlet.
You're either a public forum or a publisher making editorial decisions. Pick a lane and stay in it, not just when it's convenient.
How does this apply, exactly?
MSM outlets are private entities. They're not marketing themselves as public forums.
Telephone companies are private entities. They do not market themselves as public forums, but they are categorically open to the public (and multi-person conversations). Woe betide any phone company that attempts to control a person's speech over the phone.
Private entities regulated by the Public Service Commission, or at least that's how it used to be.
And?
The parallel is exact. Phone companies cannot interfere with conversations because they are a platform, not a publisher. Should they, there would be legal hell to pay.
Clear enough?