Social Networks at a Crossroads

For years, social networks have claimed that they are neutral platforms as opposed to publishing organizations. The theory was that the openness of social media would allow many voices to flourish and that the community would provide the necessary guidance for veritable information. That theory has not quite played out in reality, and an executive order from President Trump places the responsibility of social networks in the spotlight.

The text of the order…targets a law known as the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 of the legislation provides broad immunity to websites that curate and moderate their own platforms and has been described by legal experts as "the 26 words that created the internet.” It argues that the protections hinge mainly on tech platforms operating in "good faith," and that social media companies have not.

The executive order is under heavy legal scrutiny, and there is debate around its full intent. Whatever the actual intent may be, the end result is an escalation of the discussion surrounding the definition of social networks. Clearly social networks cannot duplicate the editorial function of traditional news outlets. At the same time, the algorithms driving social feeds are imperfect and susceptible to outside influence.

At the most basic level, the issue at hand is that social networks are a creation without precedent, and previous laws and regulations will inevitably fall short of addressing all the complexities. This scenario has been playing out more and more frequently in the tech space, from questions about ride-sharing to characterizations of monopolies. A healthy collaboration between the tech sector and lawmakers is desperately needed, as CompTIA EVP of Public Advocacy Cinnamon Rogers explained on a recent episode of Volley.
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