Moderating the Digital Square

When we use social media we often think of it as “public”. Yet, the platforms that mediate the content we produce online are rarely public. This conflation of public square with private media is one defining characteristic of the digital society.

Over at Data & Society, Kate Klonick argues that moderators are the new governors of all that speechifying we do online:

Online platforms are now essential to participation in democratic culture. Content publication platforms actively moderate the content posted by their users. How and by whom are the guidelines for content moderation developed.

Content moderation has many interesting layers for analysis by digital sociologists. Research has shown that the job of moderating is often low-level, precarious work in tech companies. The job is often filled with contract employees who do not enjoy the benefits of full-time employment at some of the most elite employers in the new economy, i.e. tech companies. And, content moderation is often translating legal doctrine on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes that happens within the bounds of the law and sometimes it does not. And, users have found that what is said online, especially what can be said about them online, has almost no path for recourse. By flattening status and legitimacy, moderation of online discourse is an interesting sociological process.

You can listen to Kate’s talk at the D&S podcast.

http://listen.datasociety.net/podlove/file/268/s/download/c/select-show/ep0042.mp3