Are Social Media Sites Like Facebook Bad For Democracy?

Reuters: Facebook says it can't guarantee social media is good for democracy

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) warned on Monday that it could offer no assurance that social media was on balance good for democracy, but the company said it was trying what it could to stop alleged meddling in elections by Russia or anyone else.

The sharing of false or misleading headlines on social media has become a global issue, after accusations that Russia tried to influence votes in the United States, Britain and France. Moscow denies the allegations.

Facebook, the largest social network with more than 2 billion users, addressed social media’s role in democracy in blog posts from a Harvard University professor, Cass Sunstein, and from an employee working on the subject.

“I wish I could guarantee that the positives are destined to outweigh the negatives, but I can‘t,” Samidh Chakrabarti, a Facebook product manager, wrote in his post.

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WNU Editor: Like everything else in life .... there is good and bad. For social media .... as a tool to disseminate information and news quickly .... it has been priceless. Unfortunately .... it is also a tool that can (and has been used) to disseminate fake information and fake news. The key is to find a balance, and to embrace only those social media sources that you feel comfortable are trying their best to spread truthful news and information. Trust is something that has to be earned .... and social media is not an exception to this basic rule. And as to the question .... are social media sites like Facebook bad for democracy? I can only speak for myself .... but I will say no. They are just one of many platforms out there that spreads news, information, and opinions. If someone can be easily convinced that what he or she reads on Facebook is the truth .... the way I see it .... these same people will also be easily convinced by something else if Facebook was not around.

More News On Facebook Saying That It Can't Guarantee That It Is Good For Democracy

Facebook: we were too slow to recognise our 'corrosive' effect on democracy -- The Guardian

Facebook admits social media can 'corrode democracy' -- CNN
Facebook Slowly Realizing It Might Be Ruining Democracy -- Gizmodo
Facebook admits social media is bad for democracy, sometimes -- CNET
Facebook isn't sure if Facebook is good -- Quartz