25 May 2016: How Facebook Can Shape Public Opinion
by Jillian C. York | May 25 2016
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Facebook is becoming the world’s most important media gatekeeper, with 1.65 billion users. But with this reach comes responsibility. The Sydney Morning Herald looks at how Facebook is “editing the way we see the world.”
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Conservative activist Lauren Southern received a 30-day Facebook ban after posting about the ban of a conservative Page moderator. According to the Daily Mail, the ban was later reversed, with Facebook calling it an error.
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Facebook apologized after banning an advertisement featuring plus-sized model Tess Holliday under the company’s “health and fitness guidelines.” The ad promotes body positivity.
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“Facebook is no longer just a destination for virtual socialising but a media company that can shape public opinion,” argues the Economist in a piece entitled “Censors and Sensibility.”
In other news:
- Zuckerberg calls Facebook a "platform for ideas" after meeting with conservatives.
- Microsoft published new guidelines on dealing with terrorist content.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jillian C. York
Jillian C. York is a writer and activist whose work lies at the intersection of technology and policy. Based in Berlin, she serves of the Director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where she works on issues of free expression, privacy, and digital security.
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