The article critiques claims from political right figures about free speech being under attack. It argues that they often enjoy significant freedom to express themselves while targeting marginalized groups. It points out that their complaints about cancel culture are misleading, as they rarely acknowledge the consequences of their actions. The article highlights recent decisions by Meta and X which have increased misinformation and toxicity online, challenging the idea that greater freedom of speech leads to a healthier discourse.
Far from the noble anti-authoritarian roots of the British liberal tradition, these figures prefer to use their platforms to punch down, often against already persecuted minority groups.
What the right calls cancel culture is often just the supersized celebrity version of what the rest of us experience all the time: consequences for our mistakes and bigotries.
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, he sacked 80% of engineers dedicated to trust and safety, resulting in a deluge of misinformation and toxic discourse.
Meta's announcement to dispense with fact-checking is not restoring free expression, but a move that has led to a flurry of fact-free memes and misinformation.
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