- Not so long ago, the incumbent President of the United States has accused in no uncertain terms that the then Russian Government had a significant role to play in influencing the electoral outcome using the social media platforms that propelled the gentleman to assume the highest office of the land. To this day, the accusations and counteraccusations continue unabated signifying the increasingly path-altering role essayed by the social media platforms in the formation/functioning of the Governments.
PC: alerogold
- Though the social media platforms are construed as one of the boons of the modern world architectures, there is no denying the fact that the big online corporations are assuming hitherto unknown positions, wittingly or unwittingly, strengthening the arguments of playing kingmakers, no less. Democratic countries might pave way for easier path as compared to autocratic or theocratic countries which exercise more stringent curtailing measures prohibiting free voice of expressions.
- Arguments are also gaining traction the way social media platforms are generating revenues availing all legally permissible advantages provided by the bona fide print media news generations but without accountability factor, unlike conventional platforms. Efforts are afoot by some countries, notably Australia, to usher in regulatory policies ensuring not only revenue sharing with the print media but also shoulder responsibility/accountability too.
PC: scientific american
- No wonder, social media videos and viral fake news riding on the back of online platforms have led to riots, lynching, disturbances, and unforeseen incidents creating quite a disorder. Primarily, this situation is created owing to a lack of regulatory authority that ideally should act as an agency tasked to ensure checks and balances are in place. In the absence of such a regulatory body, the social media platforms allow themselves to be turned into tools of disinformation, political manipulation and hate speech.
- In the latest unfolding drama on the issue, one of the popular social media houses has said it would not permit the use of its platforms for hateful content that could instigate violence without regard to anyone’s political position or party affiliations’. Such a claim follows over the latest report of Wall Street Journal citing current and former employees to the effect that when staffers tried to apply hate speech rules to ban a certain MLA from a State in India from using the platform for patently inflammatory content instigating violence against minorities, they were point-blank told the company’s business prospects here would be hurt by applying the rules to ruling party members.
PC: Medium
- These charges are extremely serious and already the political slugfest has started with efforts at muting the valid concerns raised by the report. Undeniably, ruling parties in our country do pull the power strings to exercise unbridled authority as a matter of right. Hence, the impartial parliamentary committee, as demanded by the opposition party, should investigate and revert with facts.
