Social media sites are owned and controlled by companies. They have no responsibility to be open platforms for free speech. They can, in fact, censor posts and do so regularly.
Co-hosts Bob Turner and Jason Goff discuss social media censorship on this episode of Online Marketing Guys.
Most social sites have rules about the type of content that can be posted. Typically, these rules prohibit posts that are hurtful, threatening or hateful. However, the application of these rules is not always uniform. This can be seen with the example of ISIS.
We've known since 2014 that this group uses social media to promote their ideology and recruit members. There is, perhaps, no larger purveyor of hatful speech and deeds than ISIS. How is this group able to continue its activities on social channels, then?
Businesses need to be aware that the potential downsides of social media. If one of the social sites you are posting to deems your content inappropriate, you could be banned.
