Social media is an implementation of free speech.

The act of filtering your speech on a social media site is not an act of denying you your rights to free speech. Why? Because a social media site is not the federal government.

A social media site is virtual private property. When you agree to join and interact in this virtual world you are agreeing to its terms and conditions. The people who own and operate this virtual private property have the right interpret your content as conforming or not conforming without justification. Although justification would be nice and courteous, but it’s not required.

The federal government on the other is entitled to a monopoly on the use of force. However, this use of force must be implemented via the rule of law. The rule of law in the US Constitution. The federal government may not impede your right to speak freely: your opinions, your worldview, what you believe to be true and so forth.

Let’s look at some recent examples of current events. Conservatives complain that Facebook, YouTube and Twitter close down or strike out their content because of a liberal bias. That’s true, they do! But they can do that with impunity. Why? Because Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are private virtual properties that you the individual agree to join, abiding to their terms of use. Its not for you the user to dictate to them the terms when they own the private property.

Is it unfair? Yes. So, what’s the solution? More free market competition!

If conservatives make an appeal to the federal government to break these companies up citing anti-trust and monopiles, then we’ll have philosophical crisis on our hands of true hypocrisy. The real solution is for government to further cut taxes and deregulate the communications industry so that investors are willing to spend their money and provide the virtual venues that conservatives require to voice their worldview. Otherwise conservatives can create their own venues and compete.

Its dangerous that CEO’s of Facebook and Twitter had to go before the US Congress and justify how they chose to conduct their business. Its dangerous that the federal government hints of punishing them. Why? Because it skirts right on the border of violating their first amendment rights and their right to be an end unto their self as opposed to the greater good.