[InvisibleCities]

[Sober, well-researched article about the dangers of pervasive social media that calls for strong government regulation]

“This link has been associated with harmful extremist content. Are you sure you wish to proceed?”

[Closi]

100% agree - let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links, now it’s one of the leading theories, so clearly and unsurprisingly these policies have already resulted in legitimate discourse being blocked.

[bellyfullofbac]

I think I use the scientific method a lot, and dismissing a possible theory as "extremist conspiracy" before having all the answers is very unscientific, especially if the other theory (zoonotic spread) doesn't have bulletproof evidence yet. The fact that some scientists signed up to the zoonotic theory and dismissed the lab leak theory is weird, and the fact that social media banned the links means their censorship is flawed.

Then again, too many idiots think proof means "The CCP notoriously likes to hide stuff, therefore they're hiding the lab leak, therefore the lab leak theory is real, QED". That sort of disinformation does deserve a ban.

Now watch this comment get downvoted for... not following the herd?

[azangru]

> now it’s one of the leading theories

I think the consensus is yet to move on this one. In a recent text I saw by someone who was trying to channel the majority opinion of the scientific community, they were calling it the less likely possibility, or something to that effect. I believe it's only in the public opinion that it became one of the leading theories, because the media suddenly decided that it was going to allow people to talk about it, and Jon Stewart went on Stephen Colbert...

[peakaboo]

That's just one out of many more events the mainstream media has been disregarding or lying about. It may be extreme to call the mainstream media propaganda but then again, it may not.

[mschuster91]

> let’s not forget that at the start of the pandemic the social media platforms called the lab leak theory an extreme conspiracy and some social platforms blocked links

That was because back then the people spreading the lab leak theory were almost exclusively Alex Jones-level or worse crackpots.

[darthrupert]

Does this actually happen?

[pydry]

If you try to apply ML to this problem.

[ttt0]

Considering the fact that they're fact-checking stupid memes, I wouldn't be surprised.