Deplatforming vs Free Speech with Laura Loomer - WBD422

Location: New York
Date: Friday 29th October
Project: loomered.com


This year’s Bitcoin 2021 conference was the biggest event in
Bitcoin’s history, with over 12,000 people coming together in
Miami.


I was there to host one of the most hotly anticipated events
called ‘Banking the Unbanked’ which saw my friend Alex Gladstein
interview Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Jack didn't disappoint when he
began by stating “Bitcoin changes everything… I don't think
there's anything more important to work on in my lifetime.”


Yet, the session is perhaps best known for the fact that activist
Laura Loomer came to the stage and heckled Jack. Laura wanted a
conversation with Jack about censorship, in light of the fact she
has been banned from Twitter (amongst other platforms and
services such as Facebook, Uber and PayPal).


She was encouraged to leave, but before she did I promised to
hear her out at a more appropriate time, so here we are.


Whatever you think of Laura, ‘deplatforming’ is one of the most
contentious issues in society today. It cuts to the heart of the
debate around free speech and American’s first amendment rights.
Should we have limits on speech?


Or is ‘hate speech’ misapplied to muzzle acceptable discourse?
Who decides on what is acceptable or not? And can private
organisations remove voices from their platforms when they have
become the world’s town square?


Laura has tested these arguments in the courts by suing Twitter,
Apple, Facebook, and Twitter.


In this interview I talk to far-right political activist Laura
Loomer. We discuss racism and religious discrimination, debanking
and deplatforming, and the limits of free speech.