The Internet is The Modern Marketplace of Ideas (8 Values Post)

As consumers, we are always looking for the best products for the best prices. This is an inherent part of business, one in which every member of society is looking to maximize profit. The economic marketplace is full of products, ideas, information and services, some of which are better than others. These superior products sell better than inferior ones, and this competition drives producers to push their limits to make a profit. This idea is known as the "Marketplace of Ideas" and denounces censorship while arguing that truth will win over falsehood in a free competition of ideas.

A chart from Stodd's Learning Blog depicting the "marketplace of ideas"

Currently, the most prevalent hub that facilitates an extremely wide range of ideas is the Internet. The Internet allows for people to connect around the world and exchange ideas, services, and a multitude of goods. Individuals can shamelessly express themselves, voice their opinions, and promote their own personal interest, whether that be a point of view or business. Here, competition is the judge of truth and deception. In other words, the Internet is a modern marketplace of ideas. 

Notable philosophies from scholars such as John Stuart Mill and John Milton disagree with governments regulating this marketplace of opinions and ideas. Their arguments lie primarily in the fact that the government does not always know the truth, and that the best way to reveal the truth is through competition in the marketplace of ideas. In this case, protecting the open flow of concepts in the Internet is of paramount importance, and the government ought not to be involved in this exchange. 

Competition improves the marketplace, including the producers and consumers

A particular example of government encroachment is in the 1997 Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union case. This dispute arose from a 1996 act known as the Communications Decency Act which attempted to regulate primarily pornographic material, but could have been expanded to envelope more spheres of Internet interaction. The Supreme Court unanimously struck it down as a violation of the First Amendment as it restricted content protected under freedoms of speech and expression. 

 

This precedent is very important to the modern marketplace of ideas because it treated speech and exchanges on the Internet as First Amendment freedoms of speech. Had this case gone the opposite way, almost anything could eventually be lawfully censored by the government. Keeping the internet as a hub of ideas will both propel markets and encourage competition and drive which will lead to greater quality for consumers.