Steven L. answered • 03/22/21
Experienced, College Graduate and Certified Systems Administrator
Online censorship can effect any group that is outside of the mainstream concensus or zeitgeist ('spirit of the time'); however, given the 'gated' nature and closed community aspect of online social media, online censorship can give less avenues for redress than in bio-centric social communities. Typically those that have either no representation or minority representation can be discriminated against in democractic or authoritarian systems; it is just more likely in an authoritarian system.
Occasionally, those in the majority can experience discrimination and censorship, based up who controls or moderates the platform and what their ideas or philosophy is regarding 'moderation'. In the past, a publisher of a newspaper had final say on what a paper printed or did not print and did print and he, she, or a coporation's CEO would hire Editors to 'Gatekeep' which essentially means control what goes to 'press'. These days, on-lline media is still 'gate kept' to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the platform. Anyone can be a publisher, if they can get an internet connection and there are many platforms from which to publish. But each has its own 'Guidelines' or 'terms of service' which must be agreed to and abided to, in-order to publish on the platform.
A community college course in "Mass Media" is a good way to get a good understanding of the current state of what is censored and how to understand 'terms of service' contracts that everyone seems to still agree with and click through, when in fact very few read them.
