The Dark Side of Social Media

Click to watch the trailer of "The Great Hack"

WASHINGTON - On April 23rd, the United States Congress approved legislation to force the Chinese owner of TikTok, ByteDance, to sell the platform within nine months or face a nationwide ban. The main reasons cited are privacy and security concerns. The European Commission and the European Parliament have asked their staff to delete the app from their work phones, and for lawmakers and government employees to avoid using it on their personal devices.
Some other software companies, with millions of users, such as Airbnb, Yahoo, and LinkedIn, are leaving China because of Beijing's strict privacy law, which specifies how companies can collect and store data.

Over the past five years, the landscape for digital platform regulation has undergone substantial transformations.
Previously, the rules around combating misinformation were less stringent, and the EU's AI Act wasn't even on the horizon. Social media has been a double-edged sword, spreading propaganda and vital information, notably influencing the 2019 EU election campaigns. The EU Parliament Research Service credits the electoral turnout, which surpassed 50%, to increased youth engagement facilitated by platforms like Snapchat.

Today, TikTok has emerged as a disruptive force, differentiating itself from established giants like Meta (Facebook) and Twitter. With over 150 million users in Europe, TikTok primarily engages Gen Z, contrasting with Facebook’s appeal to Gen X and older demographics.

Many TikTok users in the US have voiced concerns about the ban, stating that the app is essential to their livelihoods. Some have used it to promote small businesses, grow their careers, or earn income from the platform's creator fund. TikTok CEO Shou Chew, a Singaporean citizen,  insists that TikTok is run independently and does not share data with the Chinese government. It was also stated that TikTok will leave China and store US data in Texas.

Chew called the vote “disappointing” and added: “This legislation if signed into law, will lead to a ban of TikTok in the United States. Even the bill sponsors admit that that's their goal. This bill gives more power to a handful of other social media companies. You will also take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators in small businesses. You will put more than 300,000 American jobs at risk, and it will take away your TikTok, and we know how important TikTok is to all of you”.

Although no concrete evidence has surfaced to prove that TikTok compromises user privacy any more than platforms like Facebook or Google, experts argue that these claims lack substantiation. Despite this, politicians have effectively pushed through legislation to ban TikTok completely unless ByteDance can fully dissociate the app from China.

Meanwhile, Canada has waded into the contentious issue of regulating online content with a sweeping proposal that would force technology companies to restrict and remove harmful material.
The proposal by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is meant to address “the anarchy and lawlessness” of the internet, said Arif Virani, the Justice Minister and Attorney General. Canada’s move to regulate tech giants comes amid intensifying concern over the power of social media platforms to disseminate harmful content with a few checks.
The comprehensive bill calls for civil and criminal penalties on hate speech and imposes heightened responsibility and transparency requirements on social media operators across the country, notably by imposing a duty to take action, protect children, make harmful content inaccessible, and keep the necessary records.

The bill is winding its way through Parliament and must be passed by the House of Commons and Senate before it becomes law. Some experts and tech companies praised the bill, saying the stiffest penalties were reserved for the worst forms of content and would not trample on free speech. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram said it supported the Canadian government’s goal to protect people online and wanted to collaborate with “lawmakers and industry peers on our longstanding priority to keep Canada safe”.

Highlighting the broader implications of social media, this week's featured film, "The Great Hack," delves into the story of Cambridge Analytica, which became emblematic of the dark side of social media during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as revealed by journalist Carole Cadwalladr.