The popular uprising that has led YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to censor the content published by its contributors will have an adverse effect.
By acclimating the population to the acceptability of censorship as a tool we are opening the door to officially-sanctioned censorship of viewpoints that the authorities disprove of.
We must keep in mind that the First Amendment protects the right of free expression, with certain limits (such as not crying out "FIRE!" in a crowded theatre).
Any action, both public and private that restricts that right is a step backward and toward authoritarianism.
What can we do, then, about general quackery published in social media under the guise of "news"? Well, we can counter lies with facts, and we can increase public awareness of the existence of the lies.
At the end of the day, no one will successfully control the Internet, and nor should they. We all must gain critical thinking skills so that all viewpoints can be expressed and filtered out.
Censorship is NOT the answer.
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