What do we do from here?
Katelin Corra
Should Social Media platforms be regulated?
This question became a lot more important after the riots taken place at, and inside, the US Capitol building occurred. With former President Trump’s Twitter and Facebook accounts being banned indefinitely, many people have been asking this question more and more.
Since platforms do not generally create their content, they contend that they are not responsible for what users produce and are thus exempt from the libel, defamation, and other laws and regulations that govern traditional media like newspapers and television. In other words, they are platforms for free speech and assume no responsibility for what their users communicate.
The US approach to free speech is a political value grounded in a specific socio-political history: it only makes sense in the US in the context of US history and other provisions in US law more broadly that outline the limits to absolute free speech in order to prevent large-scale harm. Even in the US, there is no such thing as absolute free speech, certainly not without consequences.
I personally believe that creators of these Social Media platforms should be doing more to control what gets out there on the internet. Monitoring social media is important because social media are like flowing rivers of conversation and content. Companies need to act on the conversations and content that flow by before they disappear around the corner.
As many of you know, QAnon, a far-right Conspiracy Theory group, are responsible for the “Pizzagate” incident. This conspiracy group accused the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria of being the home of a Satanic child sex abuse ring involving top Democrats such as Hillary Clinton. Because of this, a North Carolina man fired an AR-15 rifle inside of the building, deciding to take measures into his own hands. The case is seen as a clear example of the potential real-world consequences of fake news stories.
QAnon has its own following on social media accounts, and have even been labeled as a “terrorist organization.” If this group is causing all of this trouble, why aren’t these social platforms doing anything to stop it? People could have gotten killed because of their made-up theory.
I believe that if it has the power to cause people to harm one another, it should be regulated and/or taken down from the platform indefinitely.
As for using Social Media in regards to spreading awareness for Social Justice, I feel that this is very important.
There are moments in world history when social justice issues come to the forefront of global consciousness. This is such a time. The coronavirus pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated social inequities. Closely related, due to its social justice component, is the expansion of Black Lives Matter into a worldwide movement. The protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd and police brutality grew into demonstrations against larger issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. Social justice plays a role in nearly every critical problem that we face, from the climate emergency and voter suppression, to gun violence and the widening income gap.
Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms have become powerful tools for sharing messages with large audiences without leaving home. They provide resourceful ways to stay focused and organized around important causes. From joining groups to posting articles and sharing personal experiences, they can help facilitate community building, awareness, and collaboration.
With all of this being said, I will continue to show my support for people of all races, all cultural backgrounds, and support the rights of all human beings. When we peacefully come together as one, we will see what power truly is.
