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Glasnost: Nine ways Facebook could become a better forum for free speech and democracy

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  • Ash, Timothy Garton
  • Gorwa, Robert
  • Metaxa, Danaë

Abstract

This short report aims to (a) identify some important issues concerning political information and political speech on Facebook, (b) provide an overview of the major changes that Facebook has made in recent years, and then (c) assess these changes, and offer suggestions as to what more the company could do. We concentrate on three main areas: content policy, the process which develops the rules for what speech and activity is permissible on Facebook, and then enforces those rules across the platform; News Feed, the assemblage of algorithms that directly mediates the information to which Facebook users are exposed; and governance, which goes beyond transparency to the internal governance of Facebook, and the mounting concern that Facebook is not adequately accountable to its users and other stakeholders in the countries and communities in which it operates.

Suggested Citation

  • Ash, Timothy Garton & Gorwa, Robert & Metaxa, Danaë, 2019. "Glasnost: Nine ways Facebook could become a better forum for free speech and democracy," SocArXiv t7y82, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:t7y82
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/t7y82
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," NBER Working Papers 23089, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Hunt Allcott & Matthew Gentzkow, 2017. "Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(2), pages 211-236, Spring.
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