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Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

(reclaimthenet.org)
1525 points garyclarke27 | 4 comments | 18 May 20 07:37 UTC | HN request time: 0.872s | source
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katktv ◴[18 May 20 09:55 UTC] No.23220404[source]▶
I just noticed that this is the same shit right wing organization that conveniently protects alt-right stuff when it gets banned from somewhere. Can we please not promote this kind of stuff here?

Edit: to back myself up.

Here is this website standing behind authoritarian right-wing government doing antisemitic dogwhistles: https://reclaimthenet.org/hungarian-government-facebook-over...

Here it is protecting conspiracy theorists against "censorship": https://reclaimthenet.org/youtube-demonetizes-sgtreport-trur...

Here it is covering the ban of a known right-wing troll (also piss drinker) Joey Salads: https://reclaimthenet.org/twitter-suspends-joey-salads/

Here it is supporting a fringe far-right social network Gab a bunch of times: https://reclaimthenet.org/gab-biggest-mastadon-node/ https://reclaimthenet.org/new-gab-decentralized-version/ https://reclaimthenet.org/gab-chat/ https://reclaimthenet.org/gab-pro-benefits/

It's just so much consistent support for basically fascists on this. Propping this website up is dangerous.

replies(1): >>23221414 #
ripdog ◴[18 May 20 12:22 UTC] No.23221414[source]▶
Really disturbing that I had to scroll right to the bottom of the page to find someone questioning the source of this.

While obviously Podcast Addict does not deserve a ban, the sheer number of people in this thread advocating unrestricted speech around COVID-19 is thoroughly disturbing. This despite the carnage that the disease is wreaking in the US and UK right now, and the fact that conspiracy theories spread on Google and Facebook platforms have certainly added significant fuel to the fire of COVID-19.

Even down here in NZ we're dealing with cell towers being set alight due to batshit conspiracy theories spread on Facebook and Youtube. I'm generally very much pro-free speech, but this is one thing that needs to be stamped down on fast, mainly due to more and more americans gathering in large protests and spreading the virus.

replies(2): >>23222924 #>>23229950 #
1. lbeltrame ◴[18 May 20 14:42 UTC] No.23222924[source]▶
> While obviously Podcast Addict does not deserve a ban, the sheer number of people in this thread advocating unrestricted speech around COVID-19 is thoroughly disturbing.

Are you sure that advocating a "stamp down" won't throw away the baby with the bathwater? In my country, a lot of now very legitimate theories (thrombosis and treatment with heparin, convalescent plasma therapy) were slammed by certain very prominent experts at first ("baloney", "colossal idiocy"). What would've happened if Twitter or Google decided to remove the "controversial" theories?

Also, Twitter now is blocking an URL of a legitimate university promoting a trial with hydroxychloroquine. As you can see, to remove the "batshit conspiracy theories" we are also removing good science.

replies(1): >>23224930 #
2. katktv ◴[18 May 20 16:53 UTC] No.23224930[source]▶
>Also, Twitter now is blocking an URL of a legitimate university promoting a trial with hydroxychloroquine.

What university? What sources do you have on that?

replies(1): >>23224941 #
3. lbeltrame ◴[18 May 20 16:54 UTC] No.23224941[source]▶
McGill University in Canada.

Source: https://twitter.com/DrToddLee/status/1261442201369939968

replies(1): >>23228785 #
4. katktv ◴[18 May 20 21:49 UTC] No.23228785{3}[source]▶
Works fine for me. Sounds like automated filter kicking in, which is a double-edged sword, but in itself doesn't say anything abt Twitter's stance here.