." ▁ ▁Law ▁professor ▁Gl enn ▁Reyn olds ▁dub bed ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁the ▁" Year ▁of ▁De platform ing ", ▁in ▁an ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁article ▁in ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ' '. ▁According ▁to ▁Reyn olds , ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁" the ▁internet ▁gi ants ▁decided ▁to ▁sl am ▁the ▁gates ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁ideas ▁they ▁don ' t ▁like . ▁If ▁you ▁rely ▁on ▁someone ▁else ' s ▁platform ▁to ▁express ▁un pop ular ▁ideas , ▁especially ▁ideas ▁on ▁the ▁right , ▁you ' re ▁now ▁at ▁risk ." ▁Reyn olds ▁c ited ▁Alex ▁Jones , ▁G av in ▁Mc In nes ▁and ▁Dennis ▁Pra ger ▁as ▁prominent ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁vict ims ▁of ▁de platform ing ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁political ▁views , ▁not ing , ▁" Ext rem ists ▁and ▁controvers ial ists ▁on ▁the ▁left ▁have ▁been ▁relatively ▁safe ▁from ▁de platform ing ." ▁ ▁Re production ▁of ▁Class ▁Dist in ctions ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁dan ah ▁bo yd ’ s , ▁“ White ▁Fl ight ▁in ▁Network ed ▁Public s ? ▁How ▁Race ▁and ▁Class ▁Sh aped ▁American ▁Te en ▁Eng agement ▁with ▁My Space ▁and ▁Facebook ,” ▁the ▁media ▁plays ▁a ▁large ▁role ▁in ▁sh aping ▁people ' s ▁per ception s ▁of ▁specific ▁social ▁networking ▁sites . ▁When ▁looking ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁My Space , ▁after ▁adult s ▁started ▁to ▁realize ▁how ▁popular ▁the ▁sight ▁was ▁becoming ▁with ▁te ens , ▁news