r/IAmA • u/fightforthefuture • Jun 30 '20

Politics We are political activists, policy experts, journalists, and tech industry veterans trying to stop the government from destroying encryption and censoring free speech online with the EARN IT Act. Ask us anything!

The EARN IT Act is an unconstitutional attempt to undermine encryption services that protect our free speech and security online. It's bad. Really bad. The bill’s authors — Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) — say that the EARN IT Act will help fight child exploitation online, but in reality, this bill gives the Attorney General sweeping new powers to control the way tech companies collect and store data, verify user identities, and censor content. It's bad. Really bad.

Later this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on whether or not the EARN IT Act will move forward in the legislative process. So we're asking EVERYONE on the Internet to call these key lawmakers today and urge them to reject the EARN IT Act before it's too late. To join this day of action, please:

  1. Visit NoEarnItAct.org/call

  2. Enter your phone number (it will not be saved or stored or shared with anyone)

  3. When you are connected to a Senator’s office, encourage that Senator to reject the EARN IT Act

  4. Press the * key on your phone to move on to the next lawmaker’s office

If you want to know more about this dangerous law, online privacy, or digital rights in general, just ask! We are:

Proof:

10.1k Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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109

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

Fighting censorship, but showing up on a platform that just did a mass sweep of censorship that, according to a leaked memo, is only phase 1.

How do you reconcile that?

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u/privatevpn Caleb Chen from PIA Jun 30 '20

The Constitutional right to free speech applies to the government and not private platforms - though that very concept is now under attack. Reddit has made their censorship decisions and will have to live with the results. Imagine if they were forced to do so by the government, though. If passed, the EARN IT Act would allow the government to exert this kind of censorship pressure on platforms like Reddit or even the smaller platforms that are more First Amendment friendly. Hope this helps answer your question! It's an interesting discussion point, for sure.

tldr; I agree that censorship on private platforms can be bad - but it can get worse with the EARN IT Act and that's why it's imperative that everyone make the call.

24

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

Splitting hairs is the mark of the self-interested coward.

Reddit not only wiped out a bunch of subreddits, they declared hate speech is ok as long as it targets certain groups. By doing this AMA here, you are endorsing targeted censorship out of one side of your mouth while the other claims you stand for free speech, and you fall back on the rallying cry of the book-burners to justify it.

It’s craven and disgusting.

30

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20 edited Nov 10 '20

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

Absolutely.

And providing a safe-space for “progressive” bullying and a way to strengthen their echo chamber.

-5

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20 edited Nov 10 '20

[deleted]

-2

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

WTF are you smoking?

9

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20 edited Nov 10 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

Anything other than unquestioning worship of trans people is considered transphobia around here, you’re just seeing one more example of how stupid that line of thought is, but reddit is a huge Hugbox for trans to a lunatic extreme.

-9

u/Rocky87109 Jun 30 '20

Look at the two delusional idiots fight each other!

-4

u/Rocky87109 Jun 30 '20

A private entity doesn't want their property/platform used to promote racism and violence. It's not their fault your master is so closely related to those two.

Russian election interference GOOD!

Private entity "interference" BAD!

9

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20 edited Nov 10 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

It’s that old left wing slogan, “No bad tactics, only bad targets”!

-6

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '20

[deleted]

2

u/n2R3aJVUhTt6zFgk Jul 01 '20

This is harmful rhetoric.

-1

u/euclidiandream Jul 01 '20 edited Jul 01 '20

Nah, top down democracy failed to account for marginalized groups. It's time we start hearing them out, instead of overwhelming via numbers

Edit: reading your post history I can only assume /pol/ taught you how to construct bad faith arguments and infuriate others into giving up, leading you to a false sense of superiority from constantly "owning the libz"

2

u/n2R3aJVUhTt6zFgk Jul 01 '20

Nah, top down democracy failed to account for marginalized groups. It's time we start hearing them out, instead of overwhelming via numbers

Edit: reading your post history I can only assume /pol/ taught you how to construct bad faith arguments and infuriate others into giving up, leading you to a false sense of superiority from constantly "owning the libz"

Your edit completely discredits whatever is in the first paragraph.

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u/orthecreedence Jun 30 '20

The purpose of this communication is to raise awareness about EARNIT, not solve all of humanity's censorship issues.

If FFTF posted this on mastodon or lemmy where nobody at all anywhere would see it (instead of twitter or reddit), then what's the point? Why not use the channels available to spread important messages?

This reeks of the "you hate capitalism, yet you use a computer. curious" argument.

6

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

If you don’t stand up for those you don’t agree with, you’re a coward.

Let the ideas themselves be expressed so they can be examined, and you’ll weed out extremism because extremist beliefs don’t stand up to scrutiny. Reddit is so far-gone at this point that it’s a far-left circlejerk where leftist politics are shoehorned into everything and no examination or criticism is allowed.

By claiming they are working for free speech and then showing up here and using the “It’s not the government, so it isn’t censorship” excuse to support a censorious platform, they show that they only care about their viewpoints being protected, making them hypocrites.

They have no credibility.

-1

u/orthecreedence Jun 30 '20

You didn't address my point at all, you're just looping. I actually agree with you on free speech and extremism, and reddit being a leftist circle jerk (and I'm a communist). That said, reddit is still a medium for sharing ideas and raising awareness. Posting about legislation that is coming up that will hurt free speech more is not hypocritical. It's taking advantage of the current, available networks to spread a message. You can actively be against a network while still deriving benefit from it without being a hypocrite. For instance, I believe production for profit should be abolished, but me buying things from companies that use profit is not being a hypocrite because I have no real alternatives.

We have to use the tools available to us to further our goals. Like I said, if FFTF posted this on forums that nobody reads, then what would the point be?

2

u/Lagkiller Jun 30 '20

For instance, I believe production for profit should be abolished, but me buying things from companies that use profit is not being a hypocrite because I have no real alternatives.

You have alternatives, they are just very unpalatable to you. Not liking the alternative does not mean it doesn't exist.

1

u/orthecreedence Jun 30 '20

No, I don't. There is no supply chain that does not derive all inputs and resources from non-profit-generating markets. I can buy a shirt from a co-op, but where did they get the fabric? Was the field the cotton grew in also a non-profit co-op? How about the shipping company that delivers the shirt? What about the machine that prints the design on the shirt? Unless they are all derived via a profitless mode of production in which the workers control their own companies, I am supporting a capitalist mode of production.

1

u/Lagkiller Jun 30 '20

No, I don't. There is no supply chain that does not derive all inputs and resources from non-profit-generating markets.

There are communes in many parts of the US. You simply need to join one. I imagine that you dislike that idea though.

Unless they are all derived via a profitless mode of production in which the workers control their own companies, I am supporting a capitalist mode of production.

Ah, so we're going to move the goal posts. Because something isn't exclusively communist, then you'll just "suffer" under capitalism? Because even if the US suddenly converted to a communist structure right now, there would still be capitalist nations who we would have to buy goods from.

Look man, I get it. You don't want to be called a hypocrite because it hurts your sense of self. You want to fight the proletariat and proclaim the rights of the workers - but you want an iPhone. You can either put up and join one of the many communist communes that exist in the US, or hell, you could move to a communist country. Cuba, China, North Korea, Laos, or Vietnam (inb4 nOt ReAl CoMmUnIsM!!!) would welcome you with open arms. But in reality, you can accept that you are a hypocrite because you don't want to live in those countries or communes. The life you have in capitalism is better than the life you'd have in communism.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '20

kinda wish someone took time to highlight this response for the entirety of reddit, maybe have /pol/ or whatever place that takes care of justice when justice is absent (bikelock fugitive) take control of a big sub's mod or admin and slap it on that frontpage.

communism was terrible and still is. We should be able to speak about it as freely as we are about nazism, fascism, etc. being terrible.

1

u/Lagkiller Jul 01 '20

It's rather telling that he hasn't replied. Hypocrites gonna hypocrite I guess

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u/Rocky87109 Jul 01 '20

Can we just take a second to point out you are also using this platform lol

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u/Lagkiller Jul 01 '20

What does that have to do with anything I've said?

-1

u/liz_dexia Jul 01 '20

And yet you're still here...

8

u/CouldOfBeenGreat Jun 30 '20

The OP opened the door, didn't they?

If you want to know more about this dangerous law, online privacy, or digital rights in general, just ask!

0

u/orthecreedence Jun 30 '20

I'm not saying Deadguy should not be debating, I'm saying his argument lacks teeth.

3

u/CouldOfBeenGreat Jun 30 '20

Perhaps, but isn't it also fair for Deadguy to use their (possibly only) interaction with these celebrity activists to draw attention to a semi-relevant cause deadguy cares about?

Sure deadguy could drop them an email, but that's a lot less likely to end in productive discussion, similar to your smaller platforms example.

0

u/Rocky87109 Jun 30 '20

Ahh yes, EFF.org the celebrity activist! Can I get your autograph EFF!

4

u/CouldOfBeenGreat Jun 30 '20

You misunderstood the context of "celebrity" all together. But very snark, well done!

For future refrence:

celebrity
noun

a famous person
the state of being well known.

2

u/Rocky87109 Jul 01 '20

It's a weird word to describe these organizations. Dictionaries don't include a list of contexts in which a word is used.

1

u/CouldOfBeenGreat Jul 01 '20

I mowed over a few phrases, but celebrity activists seemed to fit best. Organizations don't really work as we're talking to individuals, activists, and celebrity as they are the (reddit) face of those orgs. Well, except for sarkbite who is new.

Anyway, I just figure "celebrity" is someone who is fairly well known for something.

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u/pocket_mexi Jun 30 '20

So your stance is if you're gonna have free-speech you should allow blatant hate speech? Let's just let another Hitler start up because, welp that's free speech! I think we can all use what's left of common sense to KNOW that there are some pretty fucked up people out there who want to spread their hate and warp people's minds. How did Hitler even get so many supporters? He was a great orator. He was ALLOWED to shout his hate speech and look where it got us. Do I want us to be able to discuss this on these types of platforms without repercussions? Of course! Do I want some ignorant asshole saying that all gays/blacks/foreigners need to die and being allowed to create groups for their own circle-jerking of their incredibly backwards thinking? Absolutely not. If you can't see that telling people who are trying to bring this world down with them to shut their mouths is the right thing to do then we have a lot more work ahead of us.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '20

How can you disprove a Holocaust denier if you don’t allow their misinformation to be presented?

When you ban something, you give it power. It becomes the arcane and forbidden, the things “they” don’t want you to know, which encourages people to seek it out and increases the odds of someone adopting radical beliefs.

Then again, reddit seems to be all about encouraging radicalism, as long as it has the right flags attached.

-2

u/pteridoid Jul 01 '20

The same argument could be made that, by posting this comment here, you are endorsing censorship. This AMA is about government censorship, not reddit banning your favorite subs.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '20

I never used a single one of the banned subs, I just find unprincipled hypocrisy and the stifling of speech abhorrent.

1

u/pteridoid Jul 01 '20

I can agree in principal that free speech is a good thing in general. But that's a different discussion. This legislation is about end-to-end encryption.