What does power of social media look like?

What is the role of social media entities? Primarily how they operation from an economic and political perspective? As a company, as a platform, as an entitiy? At what point does their economic model conflict with their political model? This has been a big conversation of lately especially with how they are choosing to handle the Trump Presidency (I hate that that is a thing). So I begin to wonder how do the answers to these question relate to how they act as an entity with influence, control, and ability to shape change. What responsibilities, if any, do they, or should they have?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have all come under fire at one point or another for their handling of fake accounts, with focus on those that spread misinformation. Each responding differently. The understanding of the power these giants have is only at the beginning of its conversation, the tip of the iceberg.

Something that started as a way to connect with people and share stories, a good idea, has a power of a new sort, the ability to influence and mold a lot of what makes us individuals. ­­The dark side of social media exists not only as an attack on the personal, but also the societal. The use of fake accounts is prevalent and widespread and what started as a way of financial gain by stealing information is also becoming an influential power on the way societies consume and internalize information.

Fake social media accounts are the newest form propaganda. From before World War I to the Cold War technology continued to advance in such ways that the message could be more and more disguised with each advancement. Blatant posters posted on news polls have morphed into fake online accounts with a similar message — granted you can probably still find a radio station, definitely a podcast, and most likely some newspapers still as blatant — social media accounts are used by the public and international governments (que in the UK general election and the 2016 US Presidential election).

At what point should the technology created to connect individuals internationally be responsible for what others do or say with that technology? When does, or even should, the use of that technology be controlled in some form or another?

The conversation is changing from what the problem is (the ability to create fake accounts with malicious intent) to why and whether fake accounts used as a tactic in politics by presenting misinformation count as a cybercrime?

written by:Heather Rutz-Leighton, SF state student.