Social Media Regulation

Should social media platforms and those who own them be allowed to regulate free speech?

• The immense power held by social media is undeniable. It is one of the most influential tools of the present day and has become an integral part of our day-to-day lives.
• Social media platforms can and have been known to influence political elections and referendums, successfully target millions of consumers and allow for a socially interconnected globe.
• Social media has grown at an exponential rate over the past decade and in many cases the legalities and politics have not been able to keep up.
• Some of the biggest questions of our modern society are, who should regulate these platforms? Who holds the key to one of the most powerful tools of this generation? Should they be regulated at all?
• An argument that arises when addressing such questions is that of free speech. Many argue that the key to social media should not lie with unelected officials, who may only be out for their own gain.
• When a number of social media platforms took it upon themselves to ban Donald Trump from their sites in January, society was torn on whether the move was for the best on a wider and long-term scale.
• This read list dives into a variety of perspectives on whether free speech should or should not be regulated by social media...