Social Media Platforms

A long list blown up in poster size of "public complaints" against Facebook policies, including the social media giant's political stances, data security lapses, politicization, privacy violations and misinformation, is taped to the outside of their office building during a protest led by the organization Public Citizen in Washington, DC, May 25, 2021.

Facebook’s New Dangerous Individuals and Organizations Policy Brings More Questions Than Answers

The company has responded to criticism with clarifications and revisions, but the rules require a fundamental rethink.

Jul. 20, 2021 Faiza Patel and Mary Pat Dwyer

A phone shows a download/open button for Parler.

Assessing Parler’s Letter Documenting Warnings It Gave FBI of Jan. 6 Attack

One of the significant moments in the recent House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection was the revelation that the social media platform Parler had…

Jun. 29, 2021 Justin Hendrix

A protestor holds a sign reading, “Digital Right is Human Right” during a demonstration at Ojota in Lagos on June 12, 2021. Other protestors stand in the background.

Nigeria’s Twitter Ban Is a Bellwether Case for Internet Freedom

When Twitter removed his post, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria banned the site. Other leaders may follow suit.

Jun. 24, 2021 Kian Vesteinsson

Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill April 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.

A Deeper Dive: Facebook’s Response to Oversight Board on Trump May Be Less Than It Appears

A deeper dive shows the company is not ready to engage with the board's most far-reaching recommendations,

Jun. 21, 2021 Faiza Patel and Mary Pat Dwyer

A phone screen shows a statement by Trump on May 5, 2021. Another screen in the background shows an image of Trump. The statement text reads, “What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our country. Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before. The People of our Country will not stand for it! These corrupt social media companies must pay a political price, and must never again be allowed to destroy and decimate our Electoral Process.”

For Facebook’s Sake: Getting Conversant with Human Rights

The Facebook Oversight Board decision on former President Trump has helped bring into sharper focus what international law scholars and lawyers have long understood: international…

Jun. 10, 2021 Deborah Pearlstein

With an image of himself on a screen in the background, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Financial Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill October 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Senate Report on January 6 Points to Need to Investigate Role of Social Media in Insurrection

Hendrix identifies three lines of inquiry for an investigation to follow.

Jun. 9, 2021 Justin Hendrix

People gather at a street corner during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Smoke billows from buildings down the block and all the buildings in the image are heavily damaged.

Controlling the Lens of History: From Tulsa to the Capitol Mob

(Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series on the hundredth anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, with more essays in the following days.) The centennial…

May 31, 2021 Eric J. Miller

Temel Atacocugu wipes tears with a tissue as he speaks on behalf of the injured during the National Remembrance Service at Christchurch Arena on March 13, 2021 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Another person stands nearby with a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

On Christchurch Call Anniversary, a Step Closer to Eradicating Terrorism Online?

Governments, including now the US, and companies take stock on the second anniversary of the New Zealand mosque shootings.

May 21, 2021 Courtney C. Radsch

World leaders are seen remotely on a screen as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate with 40 world leaders in the East Room of the White House April 22, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Facebook Oversight Board’s Decision on Trump Ban in a Global Context: The Treatment of Political Leaders

The future of Facebook's treatment of political leaders across the world

May 17, 2021 Chinmayi Arun

A Myanmarese policeman, who fled Myanmar and crossed illegally to India, looks at a picture of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on his social media at an undisclosed location in India's northeastern state of Mizoram on March 13, 2021. Other people sit on the ground nearby.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Other De-Platforming We Should Have Been Talking About

Facebook has been moderating the Myanmar military's Facebook access for years. The military still used the platform to effectuate its coup. What can we learn from this failure…

May 11, 2021 Jenny Domino

Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen.

Facebook’s Oversight Board Didn’t Solve the Content Moderation Riddle. We Shouldn’t Be Surprised.

The release of the Facebook Oversight Board’s report led to countless hot takes as well as thoughtful analysis. Why, then, has it seemed like such a letdown?

May 10, 2021 April Falcon Doss

Video evidence of Trump’s incitement of the January 6th attack on the Capitol is presented during Trump’s second impeachment trial. The video shows Trump at a podium speaking to the insurrectionists on January 6th.

Facebook Oversight Board’s Decision on Trump Sets Up New Tests

The board made critical recommendations: that Facebook reckon with its own role in amplifying content and overhaul its approach to high-reach accounts.

May 7, 2021 Faiza Patel and Mary Pat Dwyer