Managing Social Media

Can we control the proliferation of lies and hate speech on social media?

Social media today allows us to bypass traditional media filters and share falsehoods and hate speech either consciously or unconsciously, directly with hundreds of millions of people.

Hate and divisive speech are the preferred tools of the growing crop of politicians polluting our political systems.

Is there a moment when trying to respect the very ideals and freedoms of democracy – including freedom of speech -- actually endangers them? 

At what point does allowing lies and hate speech to circulate freely diminish democracy itself? 

Are we seeing the diminishment of democracy due to the reach and impact of unregulated social media that spreads falsehoods and hate speech?

Are stricter media standards or government censorship of social media the answer?

Many would say that any censorship by government is a slippery slope, one that would diminish democracy and freedom of speech. Government control over free speech is dangerous in the hands of unscrupulous and opportunistic politicians (of which there are many).

Indeed, Facebook and Twitter reach more people on a daily basis that do all governments at all levels. And both are beyond any government control. The United States government has fined Facebook five billion dollars, only to see the company’s stock prices rise and the company continues to give the middle finger to authorities.

Is demanding the truth and placing limits to hate speech on social media an attack on democratic principles, or does society have a right, and in fact the responsibility, to defend itself from those who would harm democratic institutions through lies or hate speech? 

These are difficult and complex questions, and there may not be any good answers.

But they must be discussed if we are to steer a clearer course between freedom of  expression and eliminating mendacity and hate speech from social media. 

Providers of social media have tools such as SNOPES to evaluate accuracy. Social media companies can develop other algorithms to filter out messages that contain lies or hate speech. The effectiveness of these tools will be based on the ability and willingness of social media companies to embrace honest communication and eliminate hate speech from its menus.

But will they? 

As the Guardian reported on July 5th, “…this (FaceBook, WhatsApp, and Instagram) isn’t a company as much as it is a dictatorship…who simply has chosen to ignore its critics around the world.” Yet no government has the means to shut them down or impose measures that are punitive enough to make them change their ways without attacking a fundamental tenet of democracy – free speech.

As social commentator Bob Lefsetz writes, “truth is in chaos in America. There’s no there there. Everybody is operating from a different set of “facts,” and as a result of the algorithms, they may not even be exposed to contrary opinions”.

Social media companies generate billions of dollars of profit for their shareholders every year. Governments have proven unable or unwilling to control them.

A current campaign by Coca Cola, Starbucks, and Unilever to boycott Facebook is attracting attention although these companies are careful to note that it is temporary – how else can they reach so many people? Attacking their bottom line may be the only way to rein in social media and control the conversation.

It may be time to more thoroughly explore how this can effectively be carried out. 

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Edition: Enrique Álvarez