The CTRL Left wants to Censor Free Speech on the Internet

Stream Summary

This stream discusses the controversy surrounding Reddit’s handling of political speech, focusing on the actions of CEO Steve Huffman and the censorship of the subreddit "The_Donald." The host explains how Reddit’s algorithms and site code were allegedly manipulated to suppress pro-Trump content, details incidents of direct interference by Huffman, and explores the broader implications for free speech and trust on major internet platforms.

• Overview of Reddit and its subreddit structure
• Growth and censorship of "The_Donald" subreddit
• Alleged manipulation of Reddit’s ranking algorithms
• Direct edits of user posts by CEO Steve Huffman
• Legal and ethical implications of database-level post editing
• Leaked chats and ongoing plans to silence dissenting communities
• Broader commentary on free speech and internet governance

Sources

• Reddit (site referenced throughout) – Official Reddit Homepage
• Steve Huffman (CEO of Reddit, referenced for actions) – Reddit Inc. Leadership Page
• The_Donald subreddit – No verified link available (subreddit banned/removed).
• Correct the Record (referenced political group) – FactCheck.org: Correct the Record
• Leaked Reddit admin chat – No verified link available.
• Legal cases involving Reddit posts – No verified link available.

Key Points of Wisdom

• [00:01:13] "That's when Steve Hoffman altered the code of the site so that the upvotes on the Donald counted as a fraction of the up votes in other Subs."
  Context: On algorithmic manipulation to suppress content.
• [00:01:56] "He broke the trust of the Reddit community and the law by altering the posts of users that insulted him to insult moderators of the Donald."
  Context: On direct interference and ethical concerns.
• [00:02:14] "User posts on Reddit have been used in court cases, including Hillary Clinton's email investigation before Congress. The gravity of this cannot be overstated."
  Context: On the legal implications of database-level edits.
• [00:03:00] "Reddit used to be about free speech, but when the CEO is a fascist, free speech only includes the opinions of pedophiles, cannibals, communists, and even necrophiliacs. But not people that happen to like Donald Trump."
  Context: On the perceived selective enforcement of speech rules.

Hyperchat Summary

No hyperchats or super chats were referenced in this stream.

Hyperchat Contributors