Liberty was never meant to be limitless

"Joanna Massey, PhD, is one of those business leaders, and she is not afraid to challenge the status quo. She is a corporate board director, Fortune 500 executive, and expert in corporate governance and crisis communications. With advanced degrees in business, law, and psychology, she brings a unique, interdisciplinary perspective to one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to protect free speech in the digital age without sacrificing public safety and democracy."

"Massey: In the United States, you can say what you want, but you are still responsible for the damage your words do. That's the part people forget. The First Amendment protects your right to speak freely without the government punishing you. It doesn't protect you from the consequences of what you say-or from being banned by private-sector businesses, like Facebook, Twitter/X, and TikTok. They set their own rules, and if you break them, you deal with the penalties."

"Massey: Liberty was never meant to be limitless. Our founding fathers-Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, among others-believed that freedom had to be balanced with responsibility. The Constitution wasn't written to give one person the right to dominate another. It protects us from the government, but it also protects us from each other. So, when you spew hate online because you don't like how I look, who I love, or what I believe, that isn't exercising your rights. It's infringing on mine."

Free speech in the United States protects individuals from government punishment but does not shield them from consequences imposed by private-sector businesses. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, and TikTok set their own rules and can ban users who violate those rules. Liberty requires balance between freedom and responsibility and was never meant to be limitless. The Constitution protects individuals from government overreach and also guards against domination by other people. Online hate and targeted abuse can infringe on others' rights and constitute harm. Interdisciplinary approaches combining business, law, and psychology inform strategies to protect free expression while preserving public safety and democratic processes.

Read at Fast Company