Why Free Speech Doesn't Apply to Social Media

Some of those who support Donald Trump has taken to social media to decry that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are infringing on freedom of speech rights. There is one issue with that statement... social media are private entities.

While free speech is permitted (to an extent) in public, the same cannot be said for a private company and that is exactly what social media is... a private company. As such, they retain the right to allow or ban any content or user they choose.

There is no law in Canada or the United States that forces social media to allow someone, even the president, to use the platform to go against the business's community guidelines. At the end of the day, social media companies are private companies and as such, they are free to choose what content they allow on their platforms.