Social Media Platforms
301 Articles

The Facebook Oversight Board: An Experiment in Self-Regulation
It's not a "Supreme Court," as Mark Zuckerberg suggested, but it might be the most interesting development in social media self-regulation in a decade.

WhatsApp v. NSO Group: State Immunity and Cyber Spying
WhatsApp claims NSO implanted spyware on phones of human rights activists, lawyers, and religious figures. NSO says it can't be sued if it did so on behalf of (undisclosed) foreign…

Deepfakes 2.0: The New Era of “Truth Decay”
The first generation (Deepfakes 1.0) was largely used for entertainment purposes. The next generation (Deepfakes 2.0) is far more convincing and readily available.

How to Think About the Right to Privacy and Using Location Data to Fight COVID-19
"Government officials need to listen to stakeholders and technologists who are not trying to promote private companies’ interests in infection control programs."

Public Officials Can’t Block Critics from Official Social Media Accounts
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied the Trump administration’s request for full court review of last year’s decision holding that the president…

Coronavirus, Public Perceptions and the Dangers of “News Deserts”
For many reasons, areas of the U.S. or segments of the populace don’t have – or don’t seek – access to fact-based, even existentially vital information.

An Ambitious Reading of Facebook’s Content Regulation White Paper
How might we move toward accountability in the face of irreconcilable clashes between Rights-era and Public Health-era values, particularly given the serious practical and civil…

Facebook Bylaws for Takedown Oversight Board: Questions of Independence
The board should select and decide cases without interference. But trustees and the company retain authority on issues underpinning its independence.

Why the 2020 Election Will Be A Mess: It’s Just Too Easy for Putin
The 2020 election cycle will provide the Kremlin opportunities to pursue further subversion, disinformation, and deception.

Instagram Content Removals in Iran Highlight Questions Over Facebook’s New Oversight Board
Facebook’s recent release of the bylaws for its new Oversight Board, which will be charged with reviewing takedown decisions by Facebook and Instagram, came on the heels of reports…

As Election Primaries Approach, Red Flags Signal Voter Suppression Risks
Voter suppression tactics are as old as American democracy. But new technology has catapulted this threat to the next level, arming foreign governments and domestic disinformation…

Social Media Vetting of Visa Applicants Violates the First Amendment
The Knight First Amendment Institute and the Brennan Center for Justice sued the US government to stop social media vetting of visa applicants.