Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of our Democracy

The book "Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of Our Democracy" explores the problem of bad speech on the internet in the American context, including hate speech, disinformation, and propaganda campaigns. It is difficult to develop remedies for these forms of bad speech, as they are ordinarily protected by the First Amendment. The book features a variety of perspectives from leading experts and offers new insights for the future of free speech in the social media era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 12 August 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

One of the most fiercely debated issues of this era is the appropriate response to the proliferation of bad speech-hate speech, disinformation, and propaganda campaigns, as well as incitement of violence, on the internet, particularly on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of Our Democracy, Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone have assembled an esteemed cast of contributors, including Hillary Clinton, Amy Klobuchar, Sheldon Whitehouse, Newt Minow, Cass Sunstein, Jack Balkin, Emily Bazelon, and others, to explore the various dimensions of this problem in the American context. They emphasize the challenges inherent in developing remedies, as some forms of bad speech are ordinarily protected by the First Amendment. Bollinger and Stone argue that it is crucial to remember the historical precedent set when new communications technology emerged, such as television and radio, leading to the establishment of a federal agency to provide oversight and issue regulations to protect and promote the public interest.

This volume offers fresh insights for the future of free speech in the social media era, featuring a diverse range of perspectives from some of America's leading experts on this highly contentious issue.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197621080