First paragraph: News that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is buying Twitter has sent the world into a spin, dividing those who advocate for unfettered free speech – like Musk – and those who believe that some platforms wield too much power and influence. But the ultimate outcome for Twitter may depend heavily on social media regulation

Ashton, Natalie Alana

Cruft, Rowan

Stirling Online Research Repository (RIOXX)

05/05/2022, 08:52 Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusivehttps://theconversation.com/social-media-regulation-why-we-must-ensure-it-is-democratic-and-inclusive-179819 1/4Academic rigour, journalistic flairRowan CruftProfessor of Philosophy, University of StirlingNatalie Alana AshtonPost Doctoral Research Fellow in Philosophy, University of StirlingNews that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is buying Twitter has sent the world into a spin,dividing those who advocate for unfettered free speech – like Musk – and those who believe that someplatforms wield too much power and influence. But the ultimate outcome for Twitter may dependheavily on social media regulation.Chris Philp, the UK minister for technology and digital economy, recently gave a speech about thegovernment’s plan for digital regulation through its proposed online safety bill, promising a “light-touch” approach, but which “supports a thriving democracy”. Now the government has warned Muskthat Twitter will have to comply with the new UK legislation.This isn’t the only kind of regulatory challenge facing social media companies. After Facebook andTwitter removed Russian state media from their sites at the end of February, the Russiancommunications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked access to the platforms, citing discrimination.Tero Vessalainen/ShutterstockSocial media regulation: why we must ensure it is democraticand inclusivePublished: April 27, 2022 3.08pm BST05/05/2022, 08:52 Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusivehttps://theconversation.com/social-media-regulation-why-we-must-ensure-it-is-democratic-and-inclusive-179819 2/4With concerns mounting about state influence on media and information, we urgently need tounderstand what democratic social media regulation should look like. As philosophers in this field,our work looks at the theoretical foundations that underpin democracy.The key insight at the heart of our ongoing research is that political freedom depends on publicdebate. We have spoken to policymakers, broadcasters, journalists, activists and regulators about howbest to apply these insights and political theory to the public sphere.Old media and new platformsDemocracy is much more than a system of regular multiparty elections. It also requires that citizensfeel able, and have the resources, to challenge those in power. Ideally, it requires people to engage inhonest discussion about the best ways to live and work together, and to assess each other’scontributions openly, inclusively and frankly.This should result in people making political decisions based on reason rather than being swayed bypower, bias or fear. Open debate is necessary for our choices at the ballot box to be well-informed, freechoices.In the philosophy of democracy there are two key conditions under which public debate counts asdemocratic: if citizens participate in it, and if it makes them more knowledgeable.Traditionally the public sphere was made up of media like newspapers, radio and television. Now,social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Twitter are part of the fabric of our political debatetoo. And these new online communication methods have quite a mixed record when it comes to bothknowledge and participation.Elon Musk strikes deal to buy Twitter for $44bn - BBC News05/05/2022, 08:52 Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusivehttps://theconversation.com/social-media-regulation-why-we-must-ensure-it-is-democratic-and-inclusive-179819 3/4On the one hand, they enable certain audiences to hear voices that were historically excluded bymedia “gatekeepers” in the press and television, and in earlier days, newsreels. For example, the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements creatively use the internet and social media to spreadtheir messaging.Getting these messages out is a big advance both in knowledge and participation. But digitalcommunication is also frequently blamed for online bullying, fake news, polarisation, loss of trust,foreign manipulation of national debates and new forms of silencing.Traditional propaganda is now joined by attempts – as Donald Trump’s one-time adviser SteveBannon put it – to “flood the zone with shit” as a way of spreading distrust. These things destroyknowledge and result in uneven participation, especially with some voices elevated by “bots” –computer programmes masquerading as humans.Finding a way throughSo how can we regulate this new, digital public sphere to support knowledge and participation? In ourrecent report, we suggest four basic norms that can act as guiding lights for policymakers:1. Fair and equal accessPlatforms, regulators and participants must ensure fair and equal access to public political discussion.This means giving everyone equal legal rights to participate in public debate, to stand for public officeand to vote. But it also means making special efforts to elevate and highlight the contributions ofthose who are economically, socially or in other ways disadvantaged in public discussion.2. Avoid obvious falsehoodsPlatforms, regulators and participants must avoid posting or publishing things that are clearly nottrue. A claim or idea is obviously untrue when facts that falsify it are widely known. The kind ofobvious falsehoods at stake include denial of firmly established verifiable facts, such as “the Earth isflat”, or “COVID-19 is caused by 5G”. Or denial of fundamental moral principles such as the equalityof all humans regardless of race or gender.The UK government’s proposed online safety bill promises ‘a light touch’ approach. rawpixel.coml/Shutterstock05/05/2022, 08:52 Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusivehttps://theconversation.com/social-media-regulation-why-we-must-ensure-it-is-democratic-and-inclusive-179819 4/43. Offer and engage with reasonsPlatforms, regulators and participants must provide and engage with reasons: to explain why theytake the positions they do, and to consider the reasons offered by others in a debate, adjusting theirown views when appropriate.4. Take time to reflectParticipants, platforms and regulators must support time away from new and unfamiliar viewpoints –time to reflect – to decide whether and how they should influence existing views. The goal is to taketime to process new information so that we are better able to re-engage again afterwards.Leading by exampleWe have stressed the importance of these norms to the UK government, and believe that futureregulation should be guided by it. As underpinning norms, they don’t just support formal and legalregulation, and they shouldn’t be taken to justify censorship. Rather, they can influence howpolicymakers and digital platforms design the regulation that structures public discussion, and in turnguide our own public contributions as citizens.These norms are especially important for people whose roles involve representing the public – such aspoliticians and journalists. They help determine what counts as ethical conduct in democratic publiclife and good journalism that serves democracy.Some form of norms are always at play in guiding regulatory decisions, but they are not always madeexplicit. Our goal is to articulate norms which could support democracy, rather than undermine it.This is not easy to pursue, but if we are committed to democratic self-government, then we all need tokeep them in focus as our digital public sphere evolves.

Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusive

http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/retrieve/5f7815d6-8f71-47c3-b366-9e75b01019e4/Cruft-Ashton-Conversation-2022.pdf

Social media regulation: why we must ensure it is democratic and inclusive

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