The class struggle and the fight against Internet censorship

From WSWS:

The growing wave of working-class unrest is exposing and clarifying basic political questions. Among them is the central purpose of the campaign by the tech giants, the US government and the mass media to censor the Internet, under the fraudulent pretense of combating “fake news” and “Russian meddling.” The real aim is the suppression of social opposition. Within the media, there are growing warnings about the way workers have used the Internet to organize their struggles and escape the stranglehold of the corporatist, anti-working-class trade unions. And there are growing demands for explicit restrictions on left-wing views as part of a campaign against “extremism.” The New York Times published a column Sunday (“YouTube, the Great Radicalizer”) complaining that YouTube’s algorithms are directing people to “leftish conspiratorial…arguments about the existence of secret government agencies.” The author, Zeynep Tufekci, from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, complains that “YouTube [which is owned by Google] may be one of the most powerful radicalizing instruments of the 21st century.” “Human beings have many natural tendencies that need to be vigilantly monitored in the context of modern life,” Tufekci writes, associating interest in left-wing politics with addiction to sugar and fatty foods. “The situation is especially dangerous given how many people—especially young people—turn to YouTube for information.” She concludes her brief for authoritarian control of what people are viewing on line: “This state of affairs is unacceptable but not inevitable.” In other words, greater censorship methods are required. Read the full report on the WSWS To expose the growing drive toward censorship, and to organize resistance, the World Socialist Web Site, International Youth and Students for Social Equality, and the Socialist Equality Party are holding a series of meetings throughout the US, “Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship” (see below). We urge all of our readers to attend these meetings, publicize them as widely as possible, and contact the WSWS to organize a meeting in your area. See also: Google’s alliance with the military: The ruling class responds to social unrest in America YouTube threatens to shut down right-wing Infowars channel European Union demands Google, Facebook step up Internet censorship Sincerely, The World Socialist Web Site Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship: Public Meetings More meetings are being scheduled. Contact us to help organize one in your area University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Monday, March 12, 7:00 p.m. Union Ballroom West 2200 E Kenwood Blvd Milwaukee, Wisconsin San Diego State University Tuesday, March 13, 7:00 p.m. Storm Hall West Room 011 San Diego, California University of California - Berkeley Wednesday, March 14, 7:00 p.m. Barrows Room 20 Berkeley, California University of California San Diego Thursday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. Social Sciences Building Room 101 San Diego, California Eastern Michigan University Monday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. EMU Student Center Room 330 Ypsilanti, Michigan University of Florida Wednesday, March 21, 7:00 p.m. Reitz Student Union Room G320 Gainesville, Florida Wayne State University Tuesday, March 27, 7:00 p.m. Student Center Room 384 Detroit, Michigan New York University Wednesday, March 28, 7:30 p.m. Kimmel Center Room 905/907 New York City, New York Western Michigan University Thursday, March 29, 7:00 p.m. Bernhard Center Room 212 Kalamazoo, Michigan University of Michigan Tuesday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. Michigan League Hussey Room Ann Arbor, Michigan SUNY Geneseo Tuesday, April 3, 6:00 p.m. Newton 209 Geneseo, New York Northern Virginia Community College Wednesday, April 4, 3:00 p.m. CC Room 237 Annandale, Virginia Portland State University Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 p.m. Urban Building, Parson's Room Portland, Oregon PUBLIC CONFERENCE Detroit, Michigan Sunday, April 22, 11:00 - 5:00 p.m. Wayne State University Student Center Ballroom Share Tweet Forward World Socialist Web Site | wsws.org Articles: Copyright © 2017 wsws.org, All rights reserved.