UCL Uncovering Politics

Lies, politicians, and social media: Should we fact check politicians?

Episode Summary

This week we are looking at politician's speech on social media. Should social media platforms act when the things they say are wrong?

Episode Notes

Social media plays a significant role in shaping political debates and, some argue, even influencing election outcomes. Politicians increasingly use platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to communicate directly with the public and run their campaigns. However, this unfiltered communication can sometimes spread misinformation or undermine democratic values.

A prime example is incoming US President Donald Trump, who was famously banned from Twitter for glorifying violence but has since returned to X with Elon Musk at the helm. This raises critical questions:

• How should social media companies handle inflammatory or false claims from politicians?
• Can they continue to claim they are mere platforms, not publishers, despite the profound impact they have?
• And, if they challenge politicians' statements, do they risk overstepping their role in a democratic society?

To explore these issues, we’re joined by Jeff Howard, a professor in this department and the Director of the Digital Speech Lab. Jeff co-authored a recent paper that dives deep into the responsibilities of social media companies when it comes to regulating political speech.
 

Mentioned in this episode:

• Fisher, S., Kira, B., Arabaghatta Basavaraj, K., & Howard, J. (2024). Should Politicians Be Exempt from Fact-Checking?Journal of Online Trust and Safety.