Is moderation a form of censorship?

Mark Zuckerberg discusses the distinction between moderation and censorship on social media platforms, emphasizing the importance of giving users more control and clarity over what is flagged as false or questionable content. He mentions that while certain types of content, like those inciting violence, are necessarily censored for safety, other types, especially those around debatable topics like pandemic responses, aren’t outright censored but are rather marked to inform users without removing the content. This demonstrates that moderation, in Zuckerberg's view, intends to enhance user experience and provide information rather than suppress it 1 .

George Hotz further explores the nuanced difference between moderation and censorship. He argues that moderation is not inherently censorship, offering the example of Twitter’s filter button, which users can turn off to see unmoderated content. This suggests that moderation can be a choice provided to users, giving them the ability to decide what they want to see, thus preserving the freedom of speech while maintaining a certain level of discourse on platforms 2 .