Why open protocols are better than closed platforms in promoting free speech

Building open protocols instead of privately owned platforms is proposed as a way to support free speech, reduce trolling and disinformation, and give users more control over their data. Early internet protocols such as SMTP, IRC, NNTP and HTTP let anyone build compatible interfaces, and Usenet's open design allowed users to filter unwanted content with kill files. By contrast, Reddit is controlled entirely by one company whose product team can make any changes it desires, while changes to Usenet required broad consensus.