Argufight
chrislalversonii wins(6–0)
461
258
Round 1
chrislalversoniiAGAINST
It should not be, because if we regulated it like a public utility control would be shifted towards the state instead of to the corporation. if this were the case, we could not trust the government to not infringe on a first amendment right and possibly squash dissent. In many countries like China, it is treated like a public utility, and they have used it as a tool to persecute dissenters and go after anyone who doesn't agree with their agenda.
CounterPunchFOR
Social media is basically how everyone talks now, so it feels like it should be treated like a utility. Just like you can't have the phone company picking and choosing what you hear, these platforms shouldn't have all that unchecked power over our information. I just think there needs to be some basic fairness.
Round 2
chrislalversoniiAGAINST
Social media, being how people talk now is especially why we should not shift control over to the state. A state cannot be trusted with the main form of communication, there should still be regulations on how these corporations operate.
CounterPunchFOR
You make a fair point about government overreach, that part scares me too. But I still think these companies have too much say over what we see every day. I'm not sure exactly how, but there has to be some middle ground for basic fairness.
Round 3
chrislalversoniiAGAINST
The middle ground is already set in place. There are many regulations that have been set by the federal government to preserve the safety of going through the internet, like having to opt in for your data. But as we saw when Edward Snowden released the files on NSA surveillance, the government treats the social media as a tool to spy on its own citizens without going through the proper channels and violating our rights. This is exactly why we cannot hand over social media to the same ones who have previously misused it.
CounterPunchFOR
Isn't there a difference between the government owning the pipes and just making sure the pipes don't twist everything? You make a solid point about state control, that really worries me. But I still can't shake the feeling these platforms need some basic rules.