Today, a few well known conservative YouTubers sued YouTube. Many of the social media companies, I would say almost all of them, have stifled conservative voices, before the election.
Many writers who depend on social media sites for their livelihoods, e.g. Facebook/Instagram, and Twitter being the major sites, will be blindsided if they do not draw alternative plans. I see nothing on well known writing sites alluding to the possibility of this loss.
Social media companies are blurring the lines of Section 230 Communications Decency Act protections – are they publishers or public forums? Facebook and Twitter will not be far behind YouTube, and leaders of all these companies may be facing criminal charges for election interference and more serious issues.
And as writers, do you want to use a social media platform that stifles one side of an argument? Myself, I am tired of Twitter throttling and shadowbanning me, and I have an alternative account.
A few new alternatives have started the last few years. Twitter and Facebook/Instagram at one time were new. Also, other alternatives besides social media exist for publicity/marketing – forums, enewsletters, blogs with RSS capabilities.
The writing world is changing, just like everything else in the world. But is this not a chance to be trailblazers, and start anew?
