Censorship does not pay!

Facebook and Twitter have both this week taken massive hits to stocks.  Both companies have lost large numbers of users due in large part to their decision to censor information.  Especially, political opinions that harm leftist (read Socialist/Communist) ideology.  Also censored in the process, is humor targeting especially politicians on the left.

Censorship is not the only issue at hand, at least for Facebook.  Facebook has been alleged to work with authoritarian regimes to oust dissidents in places like Vietnam.  It has also been alleged that Facebook has worked with other Governments in the Middle East to oust members of their LGBT populations to authoritarian governments who prosecute and persecute them as criminal.

These platforms were sold as "free speech" platforms, and we can attribute their growth to the "free" atmosphere.  The further they turn towards authoritarianism, the more people will flee the platform.

If share holders keep the authoritarian leaning leadership in charge, expect Facebook to go the way of MySpace in relatively short time.

One thing for business owners to remember is that people who differ from your political views have money and influence too.  Catering to one side of a political debate is a sure way to lose business.