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Is there a typo in the question? By definition censorship is already censorship. It’s a tautology.
If you mean when does small scale individual censorship become systematic censorship and oppression?
- in today’s internet, with the public square is being privately owned, Twitter Instagram Facebook etc, small scale censorship by the private corporations, can effectively become systematic censorship, because they dominate the digital public square.
This is why myself, and many of my friends, are actively supporting the fediverse so that people’s voices can be democratically supported, and not subject to corporate censorship.
This is at the root of the paradox of tolerance. If you tolerate intolerance, eventually intolerance dominates.
Robert Anton Wilson wrote about Big Truths and Little Truths. Similarly, we can talk about Little Censorship and Big Censorship. I don’t know what those definitions are, but I’m sure that it’s not just a matter of scale, because the Paradox of Tolerance applies at all scales. I think the difference lies between in what’s being censored, things that promote intolerance. And then there are things outside of intolerance that most of us agree should be squashed – child porn, hate speech, incenting to crimes against individuals, doxxing. But it’s a fine line, and you could argue that it’s better to not censor, and just make the the sharing a crime.
Personally, I don’t have clear definitions around this stuff, but I do think the Paradox of Tolerance is a real thing that’s been demonstrated countless times, and which should be heeded.
The tolerance intolerance discussion is interesting, and very sticky.
If speech is criminally intolerable, then it should be up to the criminal system to prevent that speech. Not digital platform providers to enforce their opinions. Or at least that’s why I support the fediverse.
"If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it. I know, indeed, that some honest men fear that a republican government can not be strong, that this Government is not strong enough; " - Jefferson, Thomas speech
Personally I fall on the the side of a free and open discord, we cannot be fearful of evil ideas, we must expose them to sunlight so that they may shrink away by the minds of conscionable people.
Rhetorically I’ve seen many internet arguments use the intolerance of tolerance idea, to shut down any idea they don’t agree with. They wield it as a shield to prevent open debate. I think that hurts discourse, and finding common ground, it polarizes people in a discussion.
Being able to criminally persecute someone requires knowing their identity. If this is the only approach, the real need to prevent anonymous internet usage will increase.
