NewsOne: Elon Musk’s Twitter Acquisition Reinforces Calls For Big Tech To ‘Fix The Feed’

NewsOne: Elon Musk’s Twitter Acquisition Reinforces Calls For Big Tech To ‘Fix The Feed’

Being a private entity doesn’t mean that a corporate space can do anything it pleases, particularly as shown by large social media sites that have a direct impact on elections and Democracy itself. Yosef Getachew, director of the Media and Democracy Program at Common Cause, explained the problem of “prioritizing profits over the public good.” “Social-media platforms have been complicit in the spread of disinformation and other harmful content that has suppressed votes and sparked real-world violence,” Getachew said in a statement. “Their actions have allowed high-profile disinformation spreaders and other bad actors to continue using social media to spread content designed to undermine trust in our elections. With midterm elections fast approaching, platforms must adopt these safety protocols, including the robust and consistent enforcement of their civic-integrity policies 365 days a year.” 

Before the big news broke about billionaire Elon Musk buying Twitter, civil-society groups called for big tech to address ongoing issues in platform accountability by fixing the feed ahead of the upcoming elections. A coalition of 60 groups, Change the Terms, wants big tech to “fix the feed” and stop amplifying hate and lies.

Three simple steps comprise the “fix the feed” demand: 

– Fix the Algorithm: Stop promoting the most incendiary, hateful content

– Protect People Equally: Staff up to protect democracy for all, across all languages

– Show Us the Receipts: Disclose your business models and moderation practices

Given his personal use of Twitter and objection to content moderation, it’s possible Musk could usher in changes that undo the basic measures for addressing disinformation and hate online. And with an election season ramping up with a majority of state primaries beginning to occur, the impact of unchecked amplification of hate speech and disinformation can have profound implications for yet another election. 

The Change the Terms coalition and others like them aren’t trying to take away people’s ability to express themselves. Claiming you can’t express your ideas when you are promoting genocide, violence targeted at particular groups, or

The Change the Terms coalition includes groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Free Press, Color of Change, Center for American Progress, National Urban League, Common Cause and Kairos. Understanding the power and importance of digital spaces like Twitter in public information consumption and news communication, having terms that reinforce social good is important.  

Being a private entity doesn’t mean that a corporate space can do anything it pleases, particularly as shown by large social media sites that have a direct impact on elections and Democracy itself. Yosef Getachew, director of the Media and Democracy Program at Common Cause, explained the problem of “prioritizing profits over the public good.”

“Social-media platforms have been complicit in the spread of disinformation and other harmful content that has suppressed votes and sparked real-world violence,” Getachew said in a statement. “Their actions have allowed high-profile disinformation spreaders and other bad actors to continue using social media to spread content designed to undermine trust in our elections. With midterm elections fast approaching, platforms must adopt these safety protocols, including the robust and consistent enforcement of their civic-integrity policies 365 days a year.”