Platforms for social media enable people, businesses, and brands to create personas that represent and connect with potential consumers and subscribers. Personal information is shared by users of these social media platforms that have been, in some instances, like the Analytica scandal. These cases have raised concerns about the security of personal data, with the government thinking of the best approach towards regulations. Advances towards social media regulation are under debate worldwide, with varying views split almost in the middle.
A section of social media users holds that social media platforms are an extension of freedom of expression that the government should not regulate. Any attempt will infringe on their constitutional rights and privacy (Rainie 1). Social media platforms have become marketing platforms for many legit businesses. The government’s regulation of such practices will be inconvenient for the parties engaged in the transactions.
In the face of the Analytica scandal, it is evident that companies are preying on social media users to steal their data and influence how they participate in critical generational decisions such as voting. I agree that social media should be regulated because it derails democracy (Applebaum 1). Balanced data confidentiality and privacy rules and regulations are required to preserve privacy rights and freedom of speech. However, the regulatory framework of online content could be a better paradigm.
In the wake of the revelations of misuse of social media data, slightly over 80% believe that social media should be regulated (Rainie 1). As academics of public accountability and digital media systems, there is an understanding that the economics of social media is predicated on collecting and selling user data. As many users may imagine, there is no straightforward solution for them to secure data (Senior 1). The company’s privacy dilemma, such as the social pollution of false news, harassment, and spamming the Facebook platform promotes, originates from an imbalance of power.
The strength and impact of social media platforms are only going to rise. Before getting to the subsequent controversy, one must reconsider how they control online material and increase transparency in managing these critical places for expression and interaction (Sinnreich and Barbra 1). It is one of many types of regulatory problems that social media firms face. Following the removal of Russian official media from Twitter and Facebook, Russia’s communications regulation Roskomnadzor barred access to the networks, alleging discrimination.
Many of the legal and ethical ramifications of social media mining remain to be worked out. The discussion about this instrument is centred on privacy concerns. The use of social media data must be regulated to ensure users’ freedom of speech. Suppose consumers believe that third-party companies may freely exploit their use of social media. In that case, they will be wary of utilizing these sites in the future or stop using them entirely.
In conclusion, there is a debate across the globe on whether social media should be regulated as there is a need to grasp what democratic social media governance should look like, as worries about state control of media and information grow. The regulatory category emphasizes its significance in terms of information privacy issues. Laws or guidelines that try to govern the processing of personal data are referred to as regulations. The category’s creation from the open coding indicates its importance, as does its frequent occurrence in public posts regarding a data breach incident.
Works Cited
Applebaum, Anne. Regulate social media now. The future of democracy is at stake. Washingtonpost, 2019. Web.
Rainie, Lee. Americans’ complicated feelings about social media in an era of privacy concerns. Benton, 2018. Web.
Senior, Jennifer. You’re Not Alone When You’re on Google. NYTimes, 2019. Web.
Sinnreich, Aramand Barbra Romzek. To serve a free society, social media must evolve beyond data mining. Theconversation, 2018. Web.