The vast majority of "free speech safe" sites are. Where else would they post these opinions?
I also laugh at the poster claiming this violates his free speech rights. The fact that Microsoft does not want to publish his nonsense, as a private company, is one of THEIR free speech rights.
I would like to see a hosting provider who says 'all stuff we host for you is your responsibility, and we shall not police it in any way'.
I'm well aware they have the right to run their business however they choose, but I'd pay a premium to know that my hosting provider won't pull the plug on my site based on its content.
What's in it for the hosting provider? How many sites are so often toeing the gray area of acceptable conduct that they would monetarily benefit from it? Does it make economic sense?
This is really just the "free market" at work. IMO, this time it's working for the good of society, somehow
There are laws that effectively require hosting providers to police their content. It's illegal to host child pornography, for example. I believe there are certain EU laws that prohibit holocaust denial, though I don't know if they're the reason for this particular decision.