Why Isn't Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Taking Down ISIS Sites?
by John Lawrence
The truck bomber in New York City recently was evidently inspired by ISIS videos. While the government is obsessed with Russian ads, it doesn't show as much concern about the fact that ISIS information is transmitted over their sites. ISIS wants "lone wolves" to do exactly what that truck bomber did: mow down innocent people on sidewalks. Their propaganda videos are all over the internet. It's up to the high tech executives to hire people to police their sites and take down anything and everything that could inspire a lone wold to carry out such attacks.
While they're at it, they should take down all white supremicist sites or any sites which advocate violence. That would include any site which gives instructions for making or modifying guns so that they become automatic weapons or teach people how to make bombs. Free speech should not include advocacy of violence whether of right wing neo-Nazis or of Muslim radicals. The internet has been much too free as a place for conspirators to conspire together and egg each other on.
I understand that this effort on behalf of those high tech corporations that control the portals of the internet will cost them money. So be it. It's their responsibility to do so. Free speech has to go out the door if it means leaving the door wide open for extremists that would perpetrate horrible crimes on the American people or any people. They are doing the same thing all over the world including Nice, France and London, England.
At the same time the US government in conjunction with other governments must profile and track any Muslim with a police record as the New York City bomber evidently had. Any suspicious behavior should put such people on the FBI's watch list and other nations' watch lists. I don't agree with President Trump much, but he is right to eliminate the program that enabled this guy from Uzbekistan to get into the US on a lottery. How ridiculous. Let's have a lottery for terrorists. That's what it amounted to.
Sorry high tech corporations, but it is your job to police your networks and take down any sites or communications which advocate violence by ISIS or any other person or group. It will diminish your profits, but the world will be a lot safer. Free speech must be limited to those not advocating violence or terrorism.