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The Intelligence from The Economist

Who’s to say? Facebook, Trump and free speech

The Intelligence from The Economist

The Economist

Global News, Daily News, News

4.53.7K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2021

⏱️ ? minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The social-media giant’s external-review body upheld a ban on former president Donald Trump—for now. We ask how a narrow ruling reflects on far broader questions of free speech and regulation. America’s young offenders are often handed long sentences and face disproportionate harms; we examine reforms that are slowly taking hold. And the Broadway mental-health musical that is a surprise hit in China.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

0:07.0

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

0:09.0

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

0:17.0

In America, minors mixed up in crime are often tried as adults,

0:22.0

receiving lengthy, even lifelong sentences in jails where they face disproportionate harm,

0:28.0

but a growing body of science and some recent Supreme Court rulings are slowly leading to reform.

0:34.0

And in many ways, the topic of mental health remains taboo in China,

0:39.0

either because of that fact or despite it, a big Broadway musical about bipolar disorder

0:44.0

has become a smash hit with Chinese audiences.

0:47.0

First up, though.

1:01.0

Facebook's oversight board released a momentous ruling yesterday,

1:05.0

upholding its ban on former American President Donald Trump.

1:09.0

His account had been suspended in January, after he called rioters who raided the Capitol building,

1:14.0

very special and great patriots.

1:17.0

The ruling is about just two of Mr. Trump's Facebook posts,

1:21.0

but it hits at a far wider concern that for the big social media platforms isn't going away,

1:27.0

just what counts as free speech and who gets to define and control it.

1:32.0

Yesterday, the majority of the Facebook oversight board agreed that two of Donald Trump's posts

1:39.0

that he put on Facebook during the riots in the Capitol on January 6th violated Facebook's

1:45.0

specific policies against praising individuals committing violence.

1:49.0

Hal Hudson is the economist's technology correspondent.

1:52.0

Some of the board also thought that those posts could be interpreted under Facebook's rules

...

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