Several reasons for the need to legalize social networks – Mehr News Agency | Iran and world’s news
In this article, we will briefly review the various reasons given by legislators to try to regulate the activities of online platforms.
The rise of social media to smartphones and the leap of dependence on citizens’ social activities in recent years have forced many legislators around the world to decide how to control the over-penetration of these digital platforms.
Jonathan Warham, in an article on the Forbes website, answers the fundamental question of why social networks need legislation, which most cybersecurity and legal experts believe that the operation of these online platforms requires its own legal framework. The fundamental and challenging issue of governments in this direction is always the effectiveness and realization of this special task effectively and efficiently.
Sparks of concern about the abandonment of social networks
Warham, a professor in the Department of Operations, Innovation and Data Science at the Esade Educational Institute, believes that the first serious sparks of concern about the abandonment of social media space go back to the events following the 2016 US presidential election and the election referendum. Although this issue was a vital and important issue before 2016, but after this period, it was highly considered by experts.
Economists believe that online platforms with the business model of “indirect network effects” seek to bring together different spectrums of users with different perspectives and tastes.
Digital service providers such as Google, eBay, Facebook, YouTube, and operating systems such as Android or iOS are some of the different types of these platforms.
According to the business model drawn from the activity of platforms, social media connects consumers of information to content producers and earns money from the margin of interaction formed between the parties through advertising.
Social media, since they do not usually play a role in content production, claim that they are not responsible for the content published by users on their platform, and this claim shows the difference between these emerging media and traditional types of media, such as newspapers and television. Gives. While this claim may seem plausible in the first place, the ability of these platforms to find harmful and destructive content is clear.
In addition, social media businesses fall into the category of “natural monopolies.” In other words, all groups welcome the widespread presence of users, liquidity, supply and demand, and the reduction of search costs through the aggregation of activities across several large platforms. For example, if a user places an ad for a second-hand product on a popular platform such as eBay, the chances of the product being sold are very high due to the presence of a very wide range of buyers on the platform.
Market monopoly and disregard for rules
On the other hand, buyers in such circumstances, are confident that the largest number of ads will be published on this platform, and they in such circumstances have a higher chance of finding the product they are looking for. Therefore, these platforms generally, after a successful start-up, quickly gain a monopoly in their online business, and this monopoly eventually causes the platform managers to disregard the existing rules. For example, common copyright laws for any type of music or movie were not followed in the early days of YouTube, and other sections of the media industry were able to comply with the platform after numerous legal threats.
How content generates revenue
The point to consider in discussing the content available on the platform of these platforms is that they are selected and highlighted based on the method of maximizing the time spent or “sticking” of the user to their website. In other words, sensitive content such as violence and controversial revelations increase the number of users and, as a result, increase revenue by encouraging the audience to follow more content.
Therefore, it can be concluded that social media is constantly seeking to increase the sharing of popular content on their platform and try to share such information with users to the maximum and in order to receive more likes and republish.
Many experts agree with the development of platform personalization algorithms. In such a situation, the user is exposed to data that he is sensitive to more than any other type of information by being in the “information bubble” and is more likely to like or republish it.
Although it is a bit unfair to label the main culprit in media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter in the face of recent political developments such as President Trump and Bergzeit, their impact on the rise of phenomena such as populism, far-right movements, and divisive and tribal behavior. As we often see on the Internet, it is an undeniable fact that has attracted the attention of many sociologists.
In today’s world, diversity of opinion and controversy is certainly a good thing, but when platforms like Facebook do not have to check the accuracy of content published on their platform, there is no incentive to fight fake news because of the benefits of republishing compelling information. And have no invalid information.
Social networks build our digital model with cognitive data
Another concern with social media platforms is that by collecting demographic and behavioral data from our online activities, they can achieve a highly accurate and predictable digital model of who we are.
They then use this vital digital information, which contains highly accurate cognitive data from users, to achieve maximum development strategy or sell it to advertisers inside and outside their operating system. The problem is that this process usually takes place without the user’s knowledge or with obtaining minimal and vague consent from the user.
Finally, it can be said that most of the existing regulations in the Western world were imposed during the recession and the spread of epidemics such as the Spanish flu, and their purpose was to increase the quality of life of individuals by increasing public health and social welfare.
Therefore, it can be concluded that individual growth and increasing the standard of living of individuals can be achieved through immunization and social growth. This shows the importance and necessity of regulating different contexts of society, including online social media. However, these platforms provide us with countless services today and we can not live without them; But the continuation of their activities also has adverse consequences, and it is very necessary to increase discussions about the need to legalize the activities of these platforms in order to minimize the existing shortcomings.
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