Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t right about so many things. When I thought about the internet being controlled by people that hate conservative values, I wasn’t alone- there were many voices in the wilderness, calling for repentance.
Now, we’re seeing companies banning the active sitting President of the United States from every online platform they can.
This isn’t new, by any means. But what surprised me was how, immediately afterwards, all the same big tech companies started banning everyone who had posted about the 2020 Presidential election not being fair. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of people.
A friend of mine who does web design and hosting was very concerned after reading that WordPress.com had banned several users over their political beliefs. I assured him that the WordPress backend (which I also use) is an open-source platform, and WordPress.com (the company) had no say so over whether people could use the backend, as they are different entities.
But the fear of being deplatformed is real, and based on actual precedent. Is there any chance we’ll be “erased” from the digital world for Wrongthink? What can we do about it?
Well, as far as moving your information away from the Big Three (Apple, Google, and Microsoft), I’ve written extensively on that. These companies are not to be trusted, so if you value your freedom in the digital frontier as much as you do in the real world, you should start weaning off of them ASAP.
What are some precautions you can take to avoid landmines in the digital domain?
- Self-hosting your website and email
- Running your own Cloud server
- De-Googling and de-Appleing your phone
- Using Linux instead of Windows or OSX
- Use decentralized and/or free social media like Diaspora, Gnu Social, Mastodon, or Gab
Will it be easy? Some parts of it will, some won’t.
But ultimately, if you are concerned about being de-platformed, there are ways around it. And if you build your online presence this way- instead of building it on large platforms, getting banned, and starting over- then you will only grow.
Don’t ignore these things before you lose everything. I’m not saying you will– but if you have a plan in place, then it’s much less likely.
Expand your reach through alternative platforms and services. The censorship will only get worse.
Sometimes getting hungry can give us meaning. It should light a fire under our rear ends and push us to start being a competitor instead of petulant victims
Absolutely. Most people will never get frustrated to the point where they’ll do something, but for those of us who have, it’s go time.