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Ever notice how the flag button has become a shortcut for winning arguments you never had to make? We pull the curtain back on performative reporting, why it’s exploding across social platforms, and how it’s quietly reshaping the public square. Starting from a listener flag on a lighthearted exchange about modern dating, we trace the path from personal discomfort to mass reporting to automated takedowns, and why that pipeline rewards outrage while punishing nuance.

We unpack the hard truths many skip: the First Amendment protects against government censorship, not private moderation—but when platforms function like town squares, their editorial choices carry civic weight. We break down the moderation machine’s playbook: brigading triggers automated models trained to prefer speed over context; overworked reviewers follow shifting guidelines; appeals arrive late and rarely restore trust. Along the way, we spotlight the chilling effect: users self-censor, dissent shrinks, and curated consensus replaces the messier work of persuasion.

This conversation isn’t a call for chaos. It’s a case for precision—removing threats, doxing, and harassment while refusing to blur the line between harm and disagreement. We lay out actionable steps. Platforms should publish transparent moderation data, weaken the power of mass flags, and design proportional responses with human-reviewed context and clear appeals. Users should debate, block, or mute before reporting views they merely dislike. Communities can reward evidence, discourage brigading, and normalize thoughtful pushback.

The takeaway is simple and demanding: if a take is wrong, counter it; if it’s dangerous, report it; if it just annoys you, let tools like mute and block do their job. Free speech isn’t a license to bully, and it isn’t a porcelain keepsake, either—it’s a working tool that gets stronger wit

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.css-aamugw{display:none;float:left;margin-right:0.5rem;}@media only screen and (max-height: 149px){.css-aamugw{display:block;}}How Mass Flagging Silences Dissent Online •iHeart

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How Mass Flagging Silences Dissent Online

How Mass Flagging Silences Dissent Online •
iHeart

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