Freedom of speech is the right to articulate and say your mind on any views or beliefs without censorship or limitation by the government. It is considered as a basic human right in most countries because it encourages unrestricted exchange of ideas among people. Nevertheless, certain forms of speech are not protected under law, for instance, speech that provokes immediate violence or endangers national security.
Other examples include obscenity, child pornography, using copyrighted materials such as music and movies without permission from copyright holders, threats against someone’s life, and speech that aids criminal activities like drug trafficking or terrorism. Nonetheless governments may limit these types of speeches but where they begin and end can be difficult to determine particularly with increasing modes of communication.
Social Media and Expression
Social media has changed the game when it comes to spreading thoughts around the world. Never before have we been able to connect so easily with people on different continents. With nothing more than internet access, virtually anyone anywhere can start a blog, podcast, or social media account through which they can share their ideas with millions online.
Facebook alone boasts over two billion active users each month. Numbers like this mean unheard voices now have platforms from which they can speak out and be heard. It’s no exaggeration to say that public conversation would be unrecognizable today were it not for the internet acting as democracy’s greatest leveler.
However, moderating content on these platforms is also a serious challenge. As private enterprises, websites can establish and implement rules about what is considered acceptable to be shared on their sites. But it is difficult to determine where this should be done in light of the fact that there are always new kinds of harmful information coming up.
Striking a Balance
A lot can be achieved with the freedom that people have been given. Still, such freedoms come with accompanying responsibilities too. What platforms try to do is find ways through which they can set necessary boundaries without unnecessarily limiting legitimate conversations. Many people concur that there should be some content types forbidden like those related to harassment, graphic violence or dangerous false facts.
Other types of speech are not so clear-cut though, what about hate speeches which may not directly provoke harm or even controversial political positions? Besides this consideration also includes assessing potential effects on elections and public discourse during decision making processes regarding how much truth certain claims need checking by them.
Some tactics employed by sites involve banning accounts repeatedly breaching policies, tagging misleading posts as such while removing any posts likely to inspire real world aggression or voter suppression among others. However, these measures themselves still have flaws as they may restrict valid artistic expressions and political utterances too much.
There is concern about bias as well, both from platforms themselves when it comes to content moderation, and from people who manipulate policies for political reasons. In general, experts agree that there are no easy or universal solutions, rather, a continual process of juggling different trade-offs.
A very slippery slope
Critics claim that even good-faith moderation can put society on a “slippery slope” towards increased censorship. If they ban some kinds of objectionable speech, where does one draw the line? There’s also the possibility that it could suppress legitimate dissent or cultural evolution.
However, doing nothing allows public opinion to be swayed by false information. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed this danger when falsehoods about the virus were shared widely on social media platforms.
One solution could be to regulate online platforms, but this carries risks too. Governments might use regulations as an excuse to silence political enemies or restrict free speech. Another option involves shaping more transparent policies through open debate among platforms and users alike.
Conclusion
The internet has given birth to new voices and ideas thanks to our freedom of speech. Nevertheless, this free expression can be dangerous when it becomes uncontrolled. Sometimes platforms need to do more than just remove certain words or images; they must remove entire topics for the safety of their users.
However, moderation policies themselves pose dangers if carelessly executed. These issues will persist as long as people find different ways through which they communicate with one another. In the future it might be possible for individuals who use social media websites like Facebook or Twitter take responsibility so that there is less conflict between them.
Rather than blaming others, we should openly discuss how policies can adapt with technology. What is needed is an environment where all perspectives are respected and no idea goes ignored. In general terms, the best way forward towards progress would be responsible open discussion online but this involves citizens taking part too not only providers alone since this could lead us into a deadlock situation.
We need a balance between individual rights and collective well-being in cyberspace. Those who have power over content should recognize that it comes with responsibilities too.
Image illustration on Canva.
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