Internet freedom is declining around the world--and social media is to blame

[JonLP24]

The news: Governments worldwide are increasingly using social media to manipulate elections and spy on citizens, think tank Freedom House has warned in its latest report. It’s the ninth year in a row that global internet freedom has dropped, according to its assessment of 65 countries.

A new menace: Disinformation—false information spread deliberately to deceive people—helped distort elections in 26 of the 30 countries studied that had national votes in the last year. Outright censorship and internet shutdowns persist, but many governments find it more effective to employ individuals to spread online propaganda, facilitated by social-media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, the report said.

Some figures: Of the 65 countries studied, half had an overall decline in their internet freedom score, while just 16 registered improvements. A majority were affected by advanced social-media surveillance programs, with law enforcement in 47 countries arresting people for political, social, or religious speech online.

A glowing example: Iceland was the world’s best protector of internet freedom, having registered no cases against users for online expression over the last year. It has near-universal connectivity, strong protections for users’ rights online, and limited restrictions on content, the report noted. Estonia and Canada took second and third place, respectively. Unsurprisingly, China was the worst performer.

https://www.technologyreview.com/f/614679/internet-freedom-is-declining-around-the-worldand-social-media-is-to-blame/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1573674127

[C_U_L8R]

1. Social media has done us all a disservice

By not verifying that people are who they say they are (no matter what their screen name), they've created an system that favors propagandists, scammers, liars, and provocateurs. Worse, the social media providers do not feel an obligation for the character of their content or community. It's a corrosive system that is unsustainable - a tremendous failing on their part that will ultimately be their downfall if they don't fix it.