Big Tech's Tightening Grip on Internet Speech

Online platforms have completely transformed American social life. They democratized publication, overthrown old gatekeepers, and given ordinary Americans a fresh voice in politics. But the system is beginning to falter. Control over online speech lies hands of select few—Facebook, Google, Twitter—who moderate content for entire nation. It an impossible task. cannot even agree among themselves what should be permitted. And, more importantly, their own interests at stake: Fringe theories ugly name-calling drive away users. Moderation good business. platform beautification has consequences society’s unpopular members, whose unsightly voices are silenced process. With control so centralized, outcasts left with few avenues expression.
 Concentrated private important resources problem. Last century, example, saw rise railroads telephone networks. To ensure access, such entities treated as common carriers required provide equal service all comers. Perhaps same true media. This Essay responds recent calls from Congress, Supreme Court, academia arguing that, like carriers, carry lawful content. The studies users’ platforms’ competing expressive interests, analyzes problematic trends censorship practices, explores costs common-carrier regulation before ultimatelyproposing market expansion segmentation alternate pathway avoid economic regulation.