Is Facebook helping to kill free speech?...

of course it is.

Why would anyone even ask such a question?

Last week, a bunch of conservatives, who live large in their own minds, met with Mark Zuckerberg to discuss the possibility that Facebook censors conservative postings on their website.

Zuckerberg invited the group after the tech blog Gizmodo claimed that Facebook downplays conservative news subjects on its trending feature. Facebook denied the report, which relied upon a single anonymous individual with self-described conservative leanings. The company said it is investigating the matter. source

Two things. 

Number one are the two words; "their website."  It's their website.  They can do whatever they want.  If you don't like it, go find another sandbox to play in.

This comment from Brietbart sums it up nicely:

With most governments monitoring activities on the Internet, including the U.S. government, we may have "freedom of speech", but exercising it can get you in trouble. Private sites are not bound by constitutional law as such and you must agree to the "terms" to use these sites or find a site that fits what you wish to say, it's that simple. So Facebook, as much as I may disagree with their policy, is within their rights to do so.

If you want to see how it works in real life, leave a really ugly nasty comment here calling me the c-word, and watch how fast it disappears while your ISP is re-located to the black list.

Face it, ladies and gentlemen, Mark Zuckerberg is a globalist who lives behind a big huge fence with armed security while advocating for open borders.

Number two is the astonishing fact that millions upon millions of people get their "news" from Facebook.  I have a Facebook account, but rarely post anything and never update my status.  I even quit linking my blog posts to Facebook.  I have Adblock Plus which means I don't see any ads on Facebook or pretty much anywhere else, either.  I do see the little trending box on the right of the page, but have never even looked at it.   

I keep harping on the fact that the majority of what we read is skewed.  We are constantly being propagandized and now it's bombarding us almost at the speed of light.  Even fact checking becomes harder.  Google knows that few people wander past the first page of a search term and so they load the first few pages with exactly what they want you to see.  

Always practice due diligence when reading anything.  It's not true just because it's on the internet.

More:

The Blaze:   Mark Zuckerberg Meets With Leading Conservatives — Here’s What Is Being Said After the Gathering

Daniel Greenfield:   The Trouble With Facebook

Fox News:   Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg meets with conservatives on reported bias 

iOTW:   Despite S.E.Cupp’s and Glenn Beck’s “Neville Chamberlain” Assurances – Conservatives Are Being Targeted By FB 

Brietbart:   Facebook Censorship and the War on Free Speech

Just to keep things in perspective, there can be a very legitimate use for Facebook. 

Problogger:  10 Tips and Strategies for a Better Facebook Marketing Campaign