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I wouldn't be so quick to throw around that term. The reason many, including myself, dislike the term censorship as applied to private entities is because it equivocates the threat between censors.

If Facebook prevents me from communicating something because they don't like it, the ramification is that I simply post it elsewhere and distribute it there.

If the government prevents me from communicating something because they don't like it, the ramification is that I have no outlet for it that does not come with the threat of violence, in the form of jail.

Very different outcomes.

At the point in which Facebook = Government in terms of state monopolized communications channel with government enforcement mechanisms then this definition would fit. It is however, despite it's popularity, nowhere near that nor reasonably possible.




Throwing people in jail isn't necessary, subtle influences in what people see and don't see are far more effective.


While it's true, that jail is the extreme on the coercion scale, it's the lack of options and the vast difference in ramifications that is the real point between censorship and private discrimination.


When you can transparently control the distribution of information, why do you still need to throw anyone in jail? Such a quaint idea.


The PRC uses many methods to suppress other opinion and among the tools they have and use is jail/prison, so, despite having sophisticated as well as cruder alternatives, there comes a time when dissidents use all manners of dissemination at their disposal to counteract and the state resorts to jail, show trials, etc.


That is true. However, it is not necessary to escalate to throwing people in jail to qualify as censorship.




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