Level of Education
Graduate
Keywords
Social Media, Policy, Information, Communication, Media, Social Media Policy, National Security Policy, Government, Legislation
Abstract
In the Constitution, We the People affirm ourselves to domestic tranquility, our common defense and general welfare to secure the blessings of Liberty. As such, statesmen are charged with developing policy to ensure social media is safe, accessible and usable to all. Currently, social media companies and use of their platforms pose a threat to national security and the societal fabric of our nation. No longer just a communication tool to bring communities and people together, social media is now leveraged to disrupt and diminish faith in our democratic republic, its people, systems and institutions. Citizens, public and private organizations, elected officials, alt-leaning media, etc. are able to write, share, and spread misleading-to-false information through various social media platforms without consequence. Social media companies, protected from liabilities of the intended or unintended effects of information found or shared over their platforms through various policies and liability protections, are the sole determinant of content and user reach. Other innovations, scientific advancements, and medical breakthroughs, such as nuclear power, vaccinations, and abortion, are limited by policy or regulation because of the real and unmitigated threats they pose to life, security and society. Due to its global reach, impacts and capabilities, social media policy must be examined. Analysis shows social media legislation is warranted due to dangers associated with its current use; a tool capable of inflicting harm, damages, and causalities (physical and emotional), and able to bypass, usurp and dismantle the principles upon which the United States was founded.
Included in
The Threat of Social Media to Society and National Security: A Call for Social Media Policy and Legislation
In the Constitution, We the People affirm ourselves to domestic tranquility, our common defense and general welfare to secure the blessings of Liberty. As such, statesmen are charged with developing policy to ensure social media is safe, accessible and usable to all. Currently, social media companies and use of their platforms pose a threat to national security and the societal fabric of our nation. No longer just a communication tool to bring communities and people together, social media is now leveraged to disrupt and diminish faith in our democratic republic, its people, systems and institutions. Citizens, public and private organizations, elected officials, alt-leaning media, etc. are able to write, share, and spread misleading-to-false information through various social media platforms without consequence. Social media companies, protected from liabilities of the intended or unintended effects of information found or shared over their platforms through various policies and liability protections, are the sole determinant of content and user reach. Other innovations, scientific advancements, and medical breakthroughs, such as nuclear power, vaccinations, and abortion, are limited by policy or regulation because of the real and unmitigated threats they pose to life, security and society. Due to its global reach, impacts and capabilities, social media policy must be examined. Analysis shows social media legislation is warranted due to dangers associated with its current use; a tool capable of inflicting harm, damages, and causalities (physical and emotional), and able to bypass, usurp and dismantle the principles upon which the United States was founded.
