Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

There's been more than a few terrorist incidents connected to forums like 8chan. In terms of the physical damage these attacks are not a threat to society but that's true of all terrorism. The argument normally is that the psychological damage to society as a whole is worth throwing everything we have at it.


Large media outlets like The New York Times were instrumental in convincing the public that Saddam had WMDs and thus justifying the Iraq War. That conflict led to something like a million deaths (and counting), which is 1000x more than all the "Internet forum"- related terrorism put together.

Yet I don't see anyone calling for further control of The New York Times or implementing restrictions on the corporate media.


The New York Times didn't come up with the idea of the Iraq War. The Iraq War was the official policy of the United States government.


They facilitated the war (through making it publicly acceptable) and made it easier to enact, just as social media supposedly facilitates terrorism.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2026 batch! Applications are open till July 27.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: