If these companies want to be considered "service providers" and not "publishers" then they need to stop their censorship.

...you mean if you violated the terms and conditions of your phone service?

You agreed to those when you got your phone.

A "service provider", like the phone companies, do not include the right to censor what is said by its users. If they want to censor and edit what is said, then they are a "publisher" like a newspaper, which has a different set of rules. They can't have it both ways.

Honestly, the only reason the phone companies don't monitor our phone conversations is because it's just not cost effective for them.

But there is a blacklist of numbers (terrorism related, in theory) that if you call one of them, you can get your conversations monitored by law enforcement, and at any point after that your phone company will completely comply with instructions to shut your phone service down.

Hey, if you still think that this is something your phone service SHOULDN'T be able to do, I'm on board with you! But let's not pretend that this is something that doesn't happen as things are right now.

I have no problem with phone companies. For a phone company to block someone, they have to go to court and show cause. They can not just stop someone because they don't agree with what is being said.

My problem is with FB, Twitter, and YouTube claiming they are "service providers" and should not be held to the standards of a publisher. Yet they actively censor and de-platform users because of an idea or a phrase they disagree without any due process. They also do not enforce their "community standards" consistently or fairly.

You forgot Chase bank.

Yeah, what chase is doing is ridiculous, but at least there are compatible alternatives available like Bank of America, CitiBank, and Wells Fargo. There are few equal alternatives to FB, Twitter, and YouTube. Although Minds.com, Snapchat, and GAB are growing.

True enough. I just thought it was insane for a bank to take a moral stance when they deal with criminals, grifters, mobsters and con artists all the time.

You are so right. Chase has a long history of breaking the rules and getting caught. They really look stupid playing "Holier than thou".

Yes but you are right. If these virtual monopolies can discriminate against their ideological opponents, even after lying to congress about it, they should be broken up or face regulations. I'm old enough to remember when it was the left fighting for free speech.