Freedom of speech is one of the coveted fundamental rights available in most developed countries, and even most developing countries claim to offer this right to their residents. Since the advent of social media, this right has been a subject of discussion, mainly due to the use of social media to spread misinformation and propaganda related to hate and social disharmony. The main issue is whether governments should regulate social media to control its contents or whether social media should be treated like we treat the individual right to freedom of speech where anonymous speech is protected? As we all know very well now, currently, social media is used by various groups and countries to spread propaganda by using anonymous accounts, especially during election times to influence the outcome of that election. No doubt, this is a serious issue. However, is it serious enough to curb one of the most valued personal rights, the right of freedom of expression? Of course, governments will argue that it is important to control social media, but as people, do we want our governments to control what we can and cannot say on social media? These are some of the questions this issue raises. Also, note that there is no absolute right to freedom of speech anywhere, there are minimum reasonable restrictions, but it seems at least on social media, these restrictions are not enough to curb the harmful effects of free speech.
Whether the government likes it or not, the reality is that social media is the new platform where most interpersonal communication happens. Nowadays, most people communicate through their devices, mainly through their phones. Even during face-to-face meetings, people are busy either posting on social media or browsing the contents of social media. People derive most of their news and other information from the internet, and mostly from social media posts. So, social media dominates our medium of expression, and this is the reason governments are interested in controlling it. Also, I agree that social media is used to spread propaganda and misinformation. People are so siloed in their information chambers either by their own choice or by algorithm manipulation that feeds them only with content that validates their ideas and opinions, it is easy to condition their minds. This is one of the main reasons why social polarization is on the rise. People treat their ideological opponents as enemies, they don't just disagree, but they also hate with whom they disagree. Why? Because they are more convinced than ever that the other side is not only wrong but that their presence is also bad for their society. This is the extent of polarization. There is also a rise in cult-like worshipping of political leaders and celebrities, there are not just followers, these followers think and behave like devotees. They do not want to hear anything critical about their demagogue. If anyone says anything critical, these devotees attack viciously. Also, countering bad speech by putting in a lot of good speech is not working that well. People with access to resources dominate any conversation by using paid or fake accounts where people post the same or similar content propagating certain views to dominate the discourse. This is where we are currently, and it is predicted to get worse from here. However, even after all the risks and drawbacks associated with social media, I don't think the government should control free speech on social media and put more restrictions than what we already have. Why? Just because once the right to free speech is compromised, it rarely returns to its original form. Imagine, how much power any government will have if they can control the biggest communication platform used by the current generation. The risks of giving control to the government outweigh the benefits. If at all they want to propose some additional reasonable restrictions, let them propose them first so that people to review and evaluate them. This is not a partisan issue, everyone's right to freedom of speech, irrespective of their party affiliation, is on the line, hence we all need to think carefully. The idea of having some order and reliability is appealing, but not at the cost of our fundamental right of freedom of speech. Let's protect our fundamental rights first, social media can take care of itself as its users mature and become aware of its strengths and weaknesses, let's give this platform some more time, it is still too early to call for any government help.
Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic.
Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com
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