Alexis Ohanian

The thing I would have respected more, even though I disagreed with it, would have been taking that same argument and making it publicly and just saying, yeah, look, this is a free speech issue. We feel like this should be here. And even though I would disagree with it, I'd still respect that it was consistent. But we know that's not what happened. What happened was, okay, yeah, are bad.

The thing I would have respected more, even though I disagreed with it, would have been taking that same argument and making it publicly and just saying, yeah, look, this is a free speech issue. We feel like this should be here. And even though I would disagree with it, I'd still respect that it was consistent. But we know that's not what happened. What happened was, okay, yeah, are bad.

We're going to ban it now. And, and that for me was when I just, I realized, no, this isn't this. I can't, I can't spend, I don't know, however many decades I got left on this earth doing this and being a part of this. And, um,

We're going to ban it now. And, and that for me was when I just, I realized, no, this isn't this. I can't, I can't spend, I don't know, however many decades I got left on this earth doing this and being a part of this. And, um,

I think the really telling thing in the era we're in now is we have the first generation of young people who are like in their early 20s who have grown up, like truly grown up on these social media platforms. And so it's exposed some of the most problematic parts.

I think the really telling thing in the era we're in now is we have the first generation of young people who are like in their early 20s who have grown up, like truly grown up on these social media platforms. And so it's exposed some of the most problematic parts.

It's also exposed some of the most impressive parts, like the excellence of an 19-year-old, 20-year-old who's pitching me to start her company. She is... orders of magnitude smarter, farther along, just just more impressive than I was at her age 20 years ago. And I think the Internet has a huge role to play in that.

It's also exposed some of the most impressive parts, like the excellence of an 19-year-old, 20-year-old who's pitching me to start her company. She is... orders of magnitude smarter, farther along, just just more impressive than I was at her age 20 years ago. And I think the Internet has a huge role to play in that.

At the same time, some of the stuff we talked about earlier, just trying to navigate an already really difficult time that is childhood where your entire life is gamified, you know, based on how many followers you get or how many hearts you get or whatever else also brings out the worst. But for me, no, that was that was my breaking point. And I just realized

At the same time, some of the stuff we talked about earlier, just trying to navigate an already really difficult time that is childhood where your entire life is gamified, you know, based on how many followers you get or how many hearts you get or whatever else also brings out the worst. But for me, no, that was that was my breaking point. And I just realized

I, like I said, I can deal with, I understand, you see this argument being made to this day. I respect that argument. And I at least appreciate when it's consistent. The inconsistency is the part that grinds my gears more than anything else. But we must also still accept the fact that, you know, the World Wide Web itself, the internet, is the totally open, free space.

I, like I said, I can deal with, I understand, you see this argument being made to this day. I respect that argument. And I at least appreciate when it's consistent. The inconsistency is the part that grinds my gears more than anything else. But we must also still accept the fact that, you know, the World Wide Web itself, the internet, is the totally open, free space.

The difference is when we build any kind of social media platform, platform, whatever it is on it, we are ultimately deciding what belongs and what doesn't. We've all agreed that spam does not matter. Like we are all okay impinging on the free speech of a spammer.

The difference is when we build any kind of social media platform, platform, whatever it is on it, we are ultimately deciding what belongs and what doesn't. We've all agreed that spam does not matter. Like we are all okay impinging on the free speech of a spammer.

and that's a pretty easy argument everyone agrees so so if we agree on that then now we just need to agree on where we draw the line because it's there there's no such thing as a totally free network because again we've all agreed we draw a line on spam so where else does it go and like i said for me and i and i realize it is it's important for it to be a gray line and i can go into all the there's a myriad of reasons why it's actually really helpful to have it be a gray line the short answer is if you make it a bright line

and that's a pretty easy argument everyone agrees so so if we agree on that then now we just need to agree on where we draw the line because it's there there's no such thing as a totally free network because again we've all agreed we draw a line on spam so where else does it go and like i said for me and i and i realize it is it's important for it to be a gray line and i can go into all the there's a myriad of reasons why it's actually really helpful to have it be a gray line the short answer is if you make it a bright line

then toxic users will go right to exactly where that line is and say, great, okay, I'm just going to hang on here on this line and troll because that's how they get satisfaction. So it's actually beneficial to have the gray line. So I totally understand the gray line. Even our laws in the United States have a gray line that usually get interpreted by judges or juries or what have you.

then toxic users will go right to exactly where that line is and say, great, okay, I'm just going to hang on here on this line and troll because that's how they get satisfaction. So it's actually beneficial to have the gray line. So I totally understand the gray line. Even our laws in the United States have a gray line that usually get interpreted by judges or juries or what have you.

That's helpful. But I think, and this is where the tech optimist in me comes in, when I look at the next generation of consumer social, these apps, and every app starts with teens, usually teen girls, college age girls, they drive all online culture and adoption. You look at Instagram success, you look at Snap success, you look at TikTok success, it's the same story.

That's helpful. But I think, and this is where the tech optimist in me comes in, when I look at the next generation of consumer social, these apps, and every app starts with teens, usually teen girls, college age girls, they drive all online culture and adoption. You look at Instagram success, you look at Snap success, you look at TikTok success, it's the same story.