This is a question for Tuesday's presidential debate between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump: Do you believe the social media industry needs more regulation? And how would that be accomplished while respecting the constitutional guarantee of free speech?
The power of this question is clear now as social media has an ever-increasing influence on politics, particularly this year's election and this debate.
The presidential debates have now become interactive events, with many viewers joining in on social media including TikTok, X and Instagram.
There, grannies, kids, movie stars and social media celebrities will compete to post the perfect critique of Trump or memorable mockery of Harris, and the debate will be scored minute by minute.
These days, the social media chatter about the two candidates is louder than anything their political opponents say on stage, and louder than the judgements of people watching on TV. In fact, TV commentators and morning headlines tend to take their cues from social media these days.
I first noticed this phenomenon during the 2012 presidential debate at the University of Denver. I was surrounded by primetime TV hosts and other political commentators, most of whom were paying barely a peep at the debate.
Their eyes were glued to the website, scrolling through the schoolyard comments streaming across social media, particularly from right-wing echo chambers.
Fast forward to this year's election cycle, and social media platforms now dominate American political campaigns, often surpassing dwindling television news viewership.
So my question for the candidates would be: Do they support increased regulation of social media platforms?
Last week in Brazil The fifth most internet-user country in the world, Banned Elon Musk's X Platform. Brazilian court pointed The failure of the platforms to crack down on right-wing misinformation despite receiving warnings.
Also, last week, The Department of Justice unsealed an indictment alleging conspiracy. Russian operatives plan to funnel more than $10 million to YouTube and prominent right-wing American internet media platforms in an effort to interfere in the election.
In July, the Department of Justice Blamed the editor Russian state-run RT Russia used artificial intelligence to create more than 1,000 fake social media accounts posing as US residents and spreading disinformation, part of a long-running Russian effort to polarize Americans along racial and religious lines and rally support for its preferred candidate, Trump.
Olivia Troye, former national security adviser to Republican Vice President Mike Pence, Recently said“Russia's interference in our elections is an alarming threat to the very foundations of our democracy.”
Also,The Republican-led Senate Intelligence CommitteeRussia did indeed wage a massive misinformation campaign on social media in 2016, attempting to boost President Trump and hurt his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Trump previously supported banning TikTok, but changed his tune after meeting with Jeff Yass. Apparently the purpose was to discuss education reform. Yass is one of the largest investors in TikTok's parent company and a donor to right-wing activist groups.
Trump also Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg threatened with jail If he wins, it will be a bold attempt to force Zuckerberg to leave his lengthy pro-Trump rants, threats and lies on Facebook.
Zuckerberg responded to Trump's threats by saying the Biden administration “Repeated pressure“Facebook is monitoring COVID-19 related content.” The admission drew support from Mr Zuckerberg on the right, suggesting the government was guilty of censoring conservative content.
Meanwhile, Harris has campaigned before. Funded by California tech billionaires and billionairesher home state.
She has been an avid social media user, adopting social media memes like a pop starCharlie XCX's Brat Summer.
meeting A bill banning TikTok was passed earlier this year. And close to passing Child Online Safety ActThe bill sets out guidelines to protect children from harmful content on social media platforms, including requiring platforms to disable features that are addictive to minors.
Eight states have already passed or enacted legislation in 2024.Curb student cell phone useIn June 2024, the Pew Research Center72% of high school teachers He said he thinks cell phones are a “big problem in the classroom.”Ed WeekOne teacher wrote that cell phones were causing “compulsive and addictive behavior” in students and hurting their grades.
I have long believed and argued that bullying, pornography, and lies on social media must be curbed if American democracy is to survive.
“The free market has failed to curb the industry's abuses and excesses,” I wrote in 2018. Congress has a role to play in stopping practices that corrode people's minds and “subvert democracy for profit.”
I still believe that: these corporations have made billions of dollars at the expense of our democracy and the well-being of our children.
Former President Barack Obama was a powerful voice in condemning social media at the Democratic National Convention, saying, “We live in a time of chaos and hatred.”He saidBecause we're addicted to social media, where we value “validation from strangers on our phones,” “we build all kinds of walls and fences around ourselves… and in that space between us, politicians and algorithms teach us to caricature each other, to troll each other, to fear each other.”
Amen, Mr. President.
So what will Harris and Trump say?
Juan Williams is an author and political analyst for Fox News Channel.
