I know this forum is mostly used for technical issues, but given the attack on America’s Capitol building, it’s worth examining the sources of disinformation that deluded these people into attacking our house of governance.
Newsmax is without question pure propaganda. If that is not an accepted fact I am happy to engage in that discussion, but their lies are widely documented. The question then is why is Plex taking part in helping in the spread of their disinformation?
I urge the decision makers at Plex to reflect on the lies that are provided directly through their service and reconsider. Giving platform to lies that have inspired mobs to attack America’s capital, resulted in multiple deaths, and done long term damage to the nation’s stability should not be a decision made lightly. If Plex supports these lies, that is something I and many others would like to factor into our decision to use your platform.
I Don’t want to get into a political debate on a “Help Desk” platform, but why should anyone (including Plex as a company) be the deciding factor of any form of information available? You don’t like Newsmax? Don’t tune into to it! It’s that simple.
Please do not take it upon yourself to make a decision for me, nor anyone else when it comes to what information we can and can not access on our personal servers.
To me that would be the equivalent to telling Plex to block any Podcast that does not suit your beliefs, ideals or sense of moral compass. Freedom to choose who/or what we want is up to the individual, not the masses.
Yeah. It’s pretty bad. Right now some guy is defending the people who broke into the Capitol. Solution, turn the feed off. I didn’t even know it was there. You can personalize the feed and turn off individual channels if you want. That’s what I did. It’s a cancer on the country but the guy pouring gas on that fire will soon be gone so be patient.
Because anyone (including Plex as a company) who enables the spread of disinformation has to consider their role in the events that are the result of spreading disinformation.
By allowing Newsmax to use the Plex platform, Plex supports a wider spread of Newsmax messages.
Plex has the right to support Newsmax. The question is whether this support for Newsmax matches the values of Plex and its investors.
Kindness, Humility, Helpfulness, Passion, Charity → https://www.plex.tv/about/
I asked myself the same question, which led me to this thread.
By allowing Newsmax to use the Plex platform, Plex supports a wider spread of Newsmax messages.
Plex has the right to support Newsmax, but the question is whether this support for Newsmax matches the values of Plex and its investors.
Kindness, Humility, Helpfulness, Passion, Charity → https://www.plex.tv/about/
The problem with that way of thinking is where it leads.
Who becomes the judge of what is misinformation and what isn’t?
Do we tell all ISP’s that they can’t allow access to a list of web sites that the judges don’t approve of?
That part I agree with. If you are an investor in Plex then you should have a say in what is used to generate income.
The rest of us can decide what to watch and what not to.
Your ISP gives you access to the internet as a whole and does not choose what you get presented.
Plex does not give you access to tv as a whole, they actively chose which channels they provide to you, had to make some contracts (i assume), actively put the feed/stream in there.
So that comparison won’t work, there is a huge difference.
They are actively (not passively through user generated content like twitter, fb etc) spreading misinformation over their platform. This is bad.
The problem starts when you do not know those are lies and you start to think that the truth is actually the lie. Where that can lead we have seen in the US lately.
It’s not about choice here, no one chooses to listen to misinformation, they get tricked into it.
I agree, everyone can choose whether or not to watch this channel.
I even think it is important to also see and read what you don’t like (to broaden your vision) and for that reason I watched Newsmax a few times on the Newsmax website.
This question is valid … it asks why Plex actively supports a further spread of Newsmax messages.
Purposely or not, you’re completely missing the point.
It’s not which media service or how it’s presented it’s the idea that an individual or group gets to decide what is best for everyone else.
I notice you did not answer the question; Who gets to decide what is misinformation?
Are you appointing yourself as the savior of all who are too dumb to decide what is real and what isn’t?
Don’t get me wrong, I agree that there is a large group that needs some guidance but luckily, in the US, you have the freedom to be stupid.
This thread very easily runs the risk of devolving into things that have nothing to do with Plex. I’m not sure it’s entirely appropriate for this space.
I am not, i just explained why your ISP comparison is inadequate.
I agree this is a hard task and there is no easy or 100% correct answer to it. Some sources are clearly misinformation with some it’s mixed and with some it’s hard to say and marked as opinions. I am for sure not the judge of it, plex is, since it is their platform.
It is not about being dumb. Most people do not have the time/energy/will/education to research every factoid they get presented, that’s why it is important that platform owners do no sit idle by when their product is misused to spread lies. Plex is not obligated to use the misinformation feed.
I agree that this forum is mostly about technical issues, but the question raised by the original poster is very legit about the media content on the Plex platform.
Maybe it is best to contact the press team about this issue. https://www.plex.tv/contact/
Plex and similar offerings have historically been an important alternative for those who DO NOT want to be restricted by some corporation’s idea of what they should be watching.
The whole idea of getting Plex Inc involved in content restriction is anathema to the product concept itself and would be a giant strategic error on their part.
Who is deciding what the “disinformation” is? That is my only issue! We all have opinions and the rights to them. I just think the idea of one persons opinion as the only deciding factor is a very slippery slope. Actions like that are what have lead to book-banning and book-burnings.
Plex is simply allowing YOU as a person to CHOOSE to watch it or not. They aren’t forcing you (or anyone else) to watch it or believe it.
So by this logic any store that sells any newspaper is supporting it? Or even any library that offers a Newspaper (for free to read) is supporting the message(s) printed in them? Because I don’t think my local supermarket or library really believes that Batboy is really a threat to local livestock.
I agree that this country could use more of these thing currently, but taking away the right to make our own decisions is non of those things!
