1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

YouTube and the First Amendment (America)

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by ThetasTrust, Jun 21, 2016.

  1. ThetasTrust

    ThetasTrust Guest

    So recently YouTube Spotlight uploaded a video that showed support for LGBT+ sexuality and gender identities.
    [YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/dtCyepuLt8Q[/YOUTUBE]
    As you can probably guess the comment section went to the gutter fast. This being said YouTube began deleting hateful comments, and when they did that people began to cite the First Amendment in their defense. I've come to clear something up and felt it needed to be said.

    YouTube is a private entity. You agree to their terms and conditions when you create an account. YES you have freedom of speech when posting comments and things like that even hateful one, but because you are using their social platform to discuss this they have the right to delete anything they see fit.

    Now, if you were on another website talking about that and everyone was perfectly fine discussing it noone could infringe you unless its part of the agreement of using the site. Noone could go, "Stop them, they are saying hateful things.".

    It's how the internet works. Thanks for reading this. I just needed to put it out there. You are all wonderful people:thumbsup:
     
  2. Skaros

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2013
    Messages:
    1,254
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    All but family
    Not only is YouTube a private company, the US constitution can't really apply since it's the internet and the internet is not centered in a single country...
     
  3. ThetasTrust

    ThetasTrust Guest

    I thought this originally too, but according to international law you abide by the laws of the country you are using that service in. So in say youre in Japan and do something there that may be illegal there on the internet an american justice system cant charge anything against you.
     
  4. GeeLee

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    Messages:
    1,442
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Not out at all
    It's Google's yard so you play by Google's rules. First amendment doesn't grant you the right to demand or force other people or companies to listen to your views, host them or answer them. If Google decides they don't want that kind of thing on their service then they're within their rights to take it down.
     
  5. ThetasTrust

    ThetasTrust Guest

    Thanks for agreeing xD, i really just needed people who knew what they were talking about
     
  6. Libertino

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2016
    Messages:
    1,195
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    This Side of the Enlightenment
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Other
    Out Status:
    Some people
    This.

    "Freedom of speech" has become the ultimate cop-out. This is just yet another example of people not understanding what the First Amendment actually entails. And part of it is not a restriction on private companies to set their own speech rules and guidelines. If the comments violated YouTube's guidelines, they have a right to remove them. Now, anytime someone discovers that people don't like what they're saying, they cry "but mah freeze peach!" without really understanding what it is they're even appealing to.
     
  7. AmyBee

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2016
    Messages:
    511
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Japan
    The First Amendment doesn't apply to YouTube. It's a private company and I'm pretty sure you agree to some kind of user conduct thing. Considering the comments that don't get taken down there anyone claiming their freedom of speech is being violated is badly mistaken.
     
  8. GeeLee

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    Messages:
    1,442
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Not out at all
    That and political correctness.

    Man says something bigoted
    Man is called out for this
    Man's reply: "I'm just speaking truth instead of being politically correct"
    Everyone else: :eusa_doh:
     
  9. Browncoat

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Messages:
    4,053
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Zefram Cochrane's hometown.
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Freedom from government policing of speech...
     
  10. AlamoCity

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2012
    Messages:
    4,656
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Lone Star State
    What's funny is that even then, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution usually only applied to the federal government interfering with your free speech (unless state constitutions explicitly have that, and while I believe most state constitutions have that, when people talk about "the First Amendment" they are speaking about the US Constitution). It wasn't until Supreme Court decisions under the "incorporation doctrine" slowly brought some of the protections of the federal Constitution to protect citizens from state and local governments.
     
  11. Chip

    Board Member Admin Team Advisor Full Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2008
    Messages:
    16,551
    Likes Received:
    4,750
    Location:
    northern CA
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    The last two posters hit the nail on the head.

    First Amendment protections protect against governmental intrusion into speech. Occasionally, some self-righteous bozo will get all up in arms about the EC mod team removing a post and argue First Amendment violation, without realizing that no such protection exists for multiple reasons.

    Any private entity can have terms to which a user agrees before being allowed to post (posting is a privilege, not a right.) and YouTube (and EC) are no exception.
     
  12. Falklands Sheep

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2013
    Messages:
    257
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Peronia
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Some people
    I don't know if you guys realised it, but the whole comments section thing was planned. By planned, I mean 4chan (/b/ and /pol/ mainly. Go figure) and Reddit organised a homophobe raid on the video in question.

    As for how this applies to the First Amendment, like the other posters said. Youtube can censor whatever the hell they want, main reason why everyone and their grandma is complaining about having videos and channels taken down under "copyright claims".
     
  13. GeeLee

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    Messages:
    1,442
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Not out at all
    I'm absolutely shocked by this, Reddit AND 4Chan raiding a YouTube video that wasn't alt right enough for their liking? This is unheard of, absolutely unheard of, especially in this day and age.

    What next?
     
    #13 GeeLee, Jun 22, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2016
  14. BobObob

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2012
    Messages:
    577
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    California
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I think there is some confusion here because the term "Free speech", much like other terms, is often used to refer to multiple different concepts. One is the _legal_ concept, which means the government shall not have authority to police what you say. The other is the ideal that a given community, even if privately owned, should permit open discussion.

    Youtube, as a private entity, has the right to police speech on their site, including banning comments. But I think that people are right to complain about Youtube not allowing comment.

    Although the following video is mostly in relation to a dispute among a certain segement of atheists online, he explains the distinction between the two uses really well:

    [YOUTUBE]wmMXiqbD9Dc[/YOUTUBE]
     
  15. derVaminoi

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2016
    Messages:
    83
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Europe
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Welp. That's an ugly like/dislike ratio.

    Supposedly /po/, the notorious origami board, was involved too. Though that may have been an inside joke on their part. I'm not up to date on these ebin channer memes.
     
  16. Glowing Eyes

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2016
    Messages:
    297
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Georgia (USA)
    Thank you for this thread guys. I get so frustrated with people crying about their free speech when they're criticized for what they say or have comments removed.
     
  17. FutureDoctor

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2016
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    All but family
    I think that it is awesome that YouTube showed support for our community! In regards to the hateful comments being taken down, I agree with YouTube. If they so choose not to have hateful words on their site then they do not have to have it there. The reason I agree so strongly is because someone who is in the closet reading those hurtful things can really become afraid of what people might think of them. I think that a positive environment should be encouraged for being wishing to be who they are. I know freedom of speech is a thing, but I don't think you need to bash people while using it you know. I hate how some people love to spread negativity and justify it with "it is my right".
     
  18. CoderK

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2016
    Messages:
    130
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Toronto
    A private company who has ownership should have rights to its domains, especially when you agree to terms and agreements. They can delete any comments they see fit. :grin:
     
  19. Kira

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2014
    Messages:
    1,623
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Georgia
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    Some people
    It's like the right-wingers can say whatever the hell they wish like "My god hates every last one of you and you'll burn for eternity so go ahead and kill yourself!" and it's "freeze peach" but if I mimic them and say something like "The holy Flying Spaghetti Monster accepts us all you fool, for I have repented and enjoy several servings of pasta per day, Ramen." they flip their shit about how I shouldn't be able to say that out loud.

    It's like "Freedom of religion!"... "But not those other religions!!", "Freedom of speech!"... "But not THAT speech!"

    I don't know, I find their logic absolutely baffling and as incomprehensible as they claim their deity to be. If you're going to make a rule or right, it's not to belong only to certain people by "birth right". I'm secretly an atheist, but I won't speak my mind because I know what happens. Heck, I had a Wiccan friend in high school, he wasn't even non-religious, yet his parents bashed him on a daily basis for not de-converting.

    I don't know. It's either free, or it's not. You can't say "It's a free country, but not for you folks ok? Ignore that constitution the country was founded on."
     
  20. peterw78165

    peterw78165 Guest

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Oregon
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Kira, if it makes you feel any better, I'm an atheist too, and I feel the exact same way you do about this.
     
    #20 peterw78165, Jul 9, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2016