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The suspension of Milo Yiannopoulos from Twitter in 2016, followed by the same for many others on the Alt-Right – often without explanation but apparently related to tone or topical content – have led some to suggest that the future of Twitter as a leading social media platform is in question.
Twitter, which is itself having financial difficulties and has marketed itself as a “free speech platform”, has also been described as essentially a “utility” as a result of its wide adoption in the Internet marketspace. However, if it cannot fulfill its end of the bargain by allowing access to those who would try to use their freedom of speech, Twitter’s moral claims and its relevance seem to fade. Meanwhile, new competitor Gab has taken up the flag for “Free Speech”…
Compounding the issue is Twitter’s more recent turn toward censoring out large categories of content and encouraging exacerbated “media bubbles” among its usership. Some have suggested these changes have effectively caused Twitter to no longer work properly for its users. Will Twitter be replaced?
Changes in YouTube’s promoted content toward long-form and Network TV content (the opposite of short-form independent content that built the platform) and FaceBook’s biased and censorial News Headline feeds and blacklisting of popular alternative news sites also coincide with this development, not to mention the Anti-Trump & Anti-Deplorable media firestorm. Will The Big Three of social media get their comeuppance?
http://www.breitbart.com/milo/2016/07/19/breaking-milo-suspended-twitter-20-minutes-party/
