Alex Jones was just banned from any platform worth spending five minutes on. For Alex Jones, and his particular brand of hate and conspiracy theories, this probably isn’t the end because he will likely start his own platform and his devout following will do just that, follow. For others, this banning definitely sends a signal: Play by their rules or you will get throttled.

And, let me say up front – I agree with his banning. If he was on a street corner, on a milk crate, with a microphone and an amplifier, then I wouldn’t agree. Free speech is free speech. I don’t have to agree with what he is saying (and I don’t) to protect him. But a public street corner is not where he shares his views. He is using platforms that have been created by businesses. He is using communities that have been built through investment, advertising, loyalty, and trust. His remarks and rants threaten these companies’ brands and their bottom line. His hate speech drives people away from the ads that they are paid to deliver. His hate speech makes advertisers not want to advertise and mistakenly be associated with Jones’ brand. It isn’t free speech when someone else has built the platform.