Here’s My Story About How I Was Censored

Before I tell you my story I’d first like to say what happened to me is not unique at all. And that’s why I’m writing about it. To use it as an example of a practice that’s become pervasive on the internet.

We’ve all had it happen to us. Or we know someone else who has. It’s become a bone of contention among conservatives especially. They argue social media companies don’t evenly apply their rules. That they let their own political ideologies influence their decisions. And that those ideologies, and decisions, favor liberals while disfavoring conservatives.

I can say from experience it’s easy to let our personal perspectives color judgements over what’s acceptable content and what’s not. For years I was an administrator for a social media site. As Paltalk’s ombudsman, I often had to moderate conflicts between users and those enforcing the terms of service. I would often advocate on behalf of users who I judged to have been unfairly restricted.

Paltalk, by the way, has matured in this regard over the years and is not very heavy handed in restricting users these days. But that program, founded in 1998, is a senior citizen when it comes to internet social media companies. Those that are targets of censorship complaints these days are still adolescents in internet years. Perhaps they will eventually change for the better too.