Social media has become many peoples’ public squares where they everyone can speak their feelings, argue, persuade, share information, etc. However, many of these sites are privately owned with many rules.
Centralized platforms deliver a lot of public value. One benefit of highly centralized sites is that it has wide reach due to the fact that almost everyone has it. Social media for example is very easy to reach friends, family, classmates, and large audiences. Another benefit is that many groups rely on social media to spread messages quickly. Since these companies have so much money to put into apps, features, safety tools, etc. they become a reliable source for a lot of people.
However, there are still some major drawbacks to these platforms. One major downside is that we don’t control the space, and can’t choose who sees our posts or when they appear. Another drawback is that our algorithms shape what we think is “true” when it may be the complete opposite. The Free Speech Project points out that this affects political debates, new distribution, and public knowledge.
I don’t think that we should be depending on the goodwill of the owners because we never truly know what is going on behind the scenes. CEO’s and boards often change, politics fluctuate, and business incentives evolve. Decentralized systems don’t rely on one single company to control everything, rather people are able to choose communities and connect with each other. Decentralization may be good because it has less corporate control, and more use choice. However, there are downsides such as moderation will be harder, and it may become confusing for everyday users.
Many people think that the government should play a role, mainly to create rules to help make online spaces fairer, safer, and more stable. Portability is that idea that when moving platforms, you can take your conversations, followers, and groups with you. The Free Speech Project explains that if social media platforms are going to function like public squares, society needs to give us a way to prevent private companies from being the only gatekeepers. Portability is a way to give users freedom rather than being locked into one space. Other ways that the government can intervene is by adding basic safety standards and transparency rules.
Who owns what we say to each other? Legally, we own our own words because when you post something, you hold the copyright. However, platforms control the majority of everything else. This includes who sees your post, when it appears, how long it stays up, how your algorithm shapes you’re feed, etc. Users may technically hold the rights to their words, but the platforms decide how those words function in public (The Free Speech Project). An example of this is Meta changing it’s fact-checking policy and not asking users. You may own your own post, but the algorithm can hide it as if it doesn’t exist.
This is why many experts argue for portability, transparency, and better governance. To make sure that our words aren’t entirely controlled by companies whose rules can change overnight.
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