Facebook sinks further into the sludge.

I experience like so many others a symbiotic relationship with Facebook that I would in the long run wish to abort. The site's obvious positive is that it serves as a conduit for communication with a whole host of friends that I have come to know during the saga of what purports to be my life. 

However I really loathe the way that Facebook's 'moral' guardians  selectively police what it deems appropriate. There is a sinister feel to all of this especially when the 'faceless' army of outsourced checkers go after facts that have merit but sit outside the context of the preferred narrative. Their political bias is all too obvious here. 

One can argue that the company has the right to do just that. Perhaps. Certainly if they actively viewed themselves as part of the press. However Facebook isn't.  They are a platform carrier with added legal protection that is distinct from the media. They are supposed to be neutral with respect to content. This is a crucial difference. 

However it doesn't end here. Facebook is head of the Hydra that is social media and consequently enjoys de facto control over the ever more valuable currency of information. In terms of oligopoly power it is the grandchild of the old school robber barons.

Its presence is everywhere and in collusion with other players (Amazon, Apple etc) it can easily crush competition (as we saw with Parler) thereby weakening alternatives that pose competition.  In this regard it is the medium that carries the message and for those that value freedom of  speech, Facebook's presence as a gatekeeper for what it deems to be correct- speak is extremely problematic. In fact it is downright worrying.

What we need is a viable alternative platform that will be allowed to germinate while nefarious Goliaths such as Facebook, who seem to flout legal safeguards with impunity, are kept in check by the necessary Anti-Trust Legislation. Will the US Congress deliver this? I am not convinced that they are brave enough to do so especially with a Democratic Party majority. The price that one pays could be immense. Reputations in the online can be eviscerated in seconds and crossing the beast has consequences. Herein lies the problem.  We await a much needed David to arise.