Social media use in politics

For example, it was reported that Russia had managed to infiltrate American social media sources during the 2016 presidential election of Trump and Clinton and flood it with fake news.

[15] In small research conducted by McKeever et al. in 2022, they found that 269 out of the 510 United States participants had noted that they got most of their information about gun violence from social media sources.

[18] For example, the use of the social media platform Twitter by United States congressman Anthony Weiner to send inappropriate messages played a role in his resignation.

In May 2016, former Facebook Trending News curator Benjamin Fearnow revealed his job was to "massage the algorithm," but dismissed any "intentional, outright bias" by either human or automated efforts within the company.

[27] Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram enable candidates and influencers to reach millions of people instantaneously and rally support.

Social media can be considered an impure public good as it can be excludable given the rights of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to remove content, deactivate accounts, and filter information based on algorithms and community standards.

[10] Proponents and aims for regulation of social media are growing due to economic concerns of monopolies of the platforms, to issues of privacy, censorship, network neutrality and information storage.

[29] Media literacy requires programmes to fight misinformation to very information and detect AI generated content prescribing a need for a certain degree of technological knowledge and accessibility which remains questionable in the global south as resources are minimal.

While calling for the state to hold more power over AI generated political content may regulate it, this would also mean that the state would have control over information and may be used to dampen democratic discussion over political content.Ultimately, fostering a democratic digital ecosystem involves balancing technological innovation with ethical governance to ensure fair electoral processes The proliferation of social media has created a unique platform for communication between government institutions and citizens.

By providing a massive number of people with the ability to gather information and express their views, social media has become a powerful tool for governments to engage with the public and foster dialogue.

He notes that while Western countries predominantly use American platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Eastern nations often prefer local alternatives such as Sina Weibo and V Kontakte, creating distinct ideological and cultural spheres online.

Peccia concludes that while social networks are powerful tools for communication and political mobilization, they also reflect and reinforce the geopolitical tensions reminiscent of the Cold War era.

The study focuses on Russia, China, and Iran, nations that have developed their own social media platforms to meet local demands while avoiding Western influences.

The authors argue that social media plays a dual role: fostering communication and community-building while simultaneously reinforcing ideological divisions and geostrategic conflicts.

The impact of social media varies globally due to cultural, political, and literacy factors, with significant censorship in countries like China, Iran, and Russia, which restricts freedom of expression and information.

This digital Cold War exacerbates ideological and geopolitical divisions, highlighting the need for international efforts to promote net neutrality and educate users on the responsible use of social media.

In conclusion, the paper calls for a balanced approach that respects diverse political systems while advocating for freedom of expression and the responsible use of social media to bridge ideological divides and promote global understanding.

[34] According to Ronald Deibert, "The world of social media is more conducive to extreme, emotionally charged, and divisive types of content than it is to calm, principled considerations of competing or complex narratives".

[36] Mari K. Eder points to failures of the Fourth Estate that have allowed outrage to be disguised as news, contributing to citizen apathy when confronting falsehoods and further distrust in democratic institutions.

According to a recent Pew Research Center, a study conducted across 19 advanced nations found that the public views social media's role in democracy as both beneficial and detrimental.

Though fake news can generate some utility for consumers, in terms of confirming far-right beliefs and spreading propaganda in favor of a presidential candidate, it also imposes private and social costs.

The likely collateral effects of these activities include compromising the fidelity of information, sowing discord and doubt in the American public about the validity of intelligence community reports, and prompting questions about the democratic process itself.

[46] About 72% of American adults claim that social media firms excessively control and influence the politics today, as per the June 16–22 survey conducted by Pew Research Center.

Facebook's CEO defended the decision, arguing that blocking ads for important political issues like climate change or women's empowerment could hinder public discourse.

Civil society organisations, such as TogetherForYes, utilised Twitter as a tool to bring abortion law into the public and make the harms of the eighth amendment visible and accessible.

[82] However, the youth are becoming distrustful of the content they read on social media as Forbes notes that there has been a decline in public trust due to many political groups and foreign nations creating fake accounts to spread a great amount of misinformation with the aim of dividing the country.

[87] For instance, black social media users were more likely to see race related news and in 2016 the Trump campaign used Facebook and other platforms to target Hillary Clinton's supporters to drive them out of the election and taking advantage of such algorithms.

[89] Washington State University political science professor Travis Ridout explains that in the United Kingdom the popular social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are beginning to play a significant role in campaigns and elections.

In 2014 and 2015, the Facebook platform allowed an app that ended up harvesting 87 million profiles of users around the world that was then used by Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 presidential campaign and in the Brexit referendum.

The Iranian-backed cyber group COBALT GYPSY created a fake persona across multiple social media platforms and initiated contact on LinkedIn before moving to Facebook and email.