The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a calamity and a threat to our current way of life and quite possibly our continuing existence. Russia is clearly the aggressor, whatever the politics and motivations behind the invasion, and it is inflicting massive pain and misery on the innocent population of Ukraine. We cannot sit in the comfort of our homes with everything around us and begin to imagine the suffering that these people are going through and with no end in sight the suffering will continue and will only get worse as this war goes on.
I don’t want to use my website as a political platform, but I was disappointed and angry that the company Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram are allowing some territories on the globe, to allow people to use specific Meta platforms as a place to express hate and calling for the death of the Russian leader and his henchmen.
Read this article from Reuters. There are many more sources that will confirm this.
This selective “virtue swopping” by a major tech company that is used by millions around the globe to me personally is not acceptable. We should not be allowing tech companies to push their opinions and agendas on us as and when they see fit. Hate speech is hate speech but it comes in different shades depending on what the situation and context is, so you either ban it completely or not at all. (Personally, I’m for free speech, no censorship and then allow people to think it through for themselves. If they can).
Whatever your position and thinking is regarding this ghastly war, and it is ghastly, big tech cannot be allowed to influence us with their opinion and to switch between one ‘acceptable‘ behaviour and another when the situation suits. (Read the George Orwell book “1984”, Hate Tuesday).
Not that it will make any difference at all to anyone, but I have today deleted from all of my devices all Meta services and accounts.
Do we really not care anymore that a globally influential company like Meta can tell us that on one day, “No. No hate speech, mustn’t say that. Naughty!” and then the next day it says that “It’s ok to Kill Putin and that other guy.” For the moment anyway, if you live in a certain place or until the next bad guy comes along”.
Where is that going to take us? Where will that lead us?
For me, I care. It’s wrong! No thanks META.
I can still be contacted via email, SMS, Telegram & Signal. (oh, and the good old telephone) I think that’s enough channels.