Should social media platforms report conversations/statements of a harmful nature to the authorities? In this latest tragedy tweets, instagram, or whatever was used to send messages. No one reported those posts to authorities. Could someone have reacted to those in time? We'll never know that answer. Still it's a frustration for me. I type in a certain word or phrase on facebook and get blocked from posting anything more almost immediately. Now I've never said or posted anything that would warrant a report to the police. I've hurt a few feelings, expressed opinions that upset people but nothing threatening violence. I understand that you could never have enough "investigators" to respond to all of that. There has been some talk lately of 911 operators sending mental health professionals to a scene instead of the police. It's their judgement call. Social media platforms could make a judgement call as well. But again, I realize it is really just an algorithm that identifies my offensive comments and shuts down my ability to post. It's not a live person. That does cause a problem.
I listened to some discussion on this topic and of course first amendment rights were at the forefront of that discussion. They should be. But my feeling remains unchanged from the times I have been prevented from posting. It's their game, they can take the ball and just go home. I do not have a right to post anything in there. I am allowed to post on there! It's a service I choose to use and as such I have no expectation of privacy. Like walking down the street or sitting in the movie theater, it's a public forum. It is not an infringement on my first amendment rights. Putting a camera, without my knowledge in my home is, recording my conversations without my knowledge is, restricting what I can post on their platforms is not! No one is saying you can't say that, they are saying, you can't say that here. Big difference.
I do think social media platforms should report such to the authorities as quickly as possible. If there is a pattern of that from a particular source it should definitely be reported. If you aren't posting anything like that you have nothing to be concerned about. After all, all of that stuff is recorded, saved on a server somewhere, in some archive somewhere. Click on an advertisement and almost immediately you will receive thirty more for the same product. You are being watched right now! You don't get to complain about that when you get caught doing what you shouldn't be doing. It's quite simple really. All social media is in the public domain! That should be an established standard, a law, whatever you wish to call it. Air your dirty laundry on that line and everyone will see it! Don't want it to be public, don't post it.
Personally, I do not have an issue with that at all. I simply don't post what I don't want others to read or know. If you want to commit the perfect crime, no one should ever know that you did it. That's the perfect crime. Many times these criminals that are mental cases have a need to advertise their intentions. It's my feeling they are talking themselves into doing whatever it is they plan to do. If we can catch that, maybe we can stop some of the carnage. It's worth the effort in my opinion. Banning, or in some fashion restricting a particular weapon will not do that. The mental cases will simply choose another method.
All that being said I wish it were that simple. I know that it is not. Still I do feel these corporations have an obligation to report such. They certainly report to their advertisers every thing you do or say regarding a product or even expressing an interest in a product. I clicked on a advertisement for a multi-million dollar home and a real estate company sent me e-mail! Guess they didn't do much checking on my financial ability to purchase such a property. Still I was amused that they thought I might. I wasn't offended. If I clicked on some website advertising for weapons of mass destruction and the FBI knocks on my door, I wouldn't be a bit surprised. It's in the public domain.
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