Social media: freedom of expression, and media regulation and policy

This chapter explores social media's role in freedom of expression, regulation, and policy. Social media platforms have revolutionised how people exercise their right to free expression, primarily through three key characteristics: ease of posting content, immediacy of publication, and the public nature of user-generated content. The chapter examines how international laws and protocols, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, apply to freedom of expression in social media. Whilst these fundamental rights are meant to be protected online, many governments still attempt to restrict citizens' digital expression.

A significant concern is the dissemination of harmful content via social media, including hate speech, trolling, and terrorist propaganda. The chapter also discusses the emergence of "selfie culture" and its social implications, both positive and negative. Social media has become a crucial platform for artistic expression, enabling artists to share their work more widely without traditional gatekeeping mechanisms. It has also evolved into a vital tool for socio-political discussion and dissent, exemplified by movements like the Arab Spring and Black Lives Matter.

The text introduces the concept of the "Fifth Estate" - ordinary citizens who document and share evidence of power abuses through social media, functioning as citizen journalists. This has created a new layer of societal accountability, particularly in cases of police brutality and human rights violations.

The chapter also examines how social media platforms have become havens for alternative viewpoints, including anarchist ideology, and have given rise to phenomena like hacktivism and memes.

Regarding regulation, the chapter discusses three main types: platform regulation by social media companies, internal regulation by employers and organisations, and external regulation by governments and state actors.

However, significant barriers to social media access persist, particularly in Africa, including; low internet penetration rates, high data costs, language barriers (with most content being in English), and economic marginalization. The chapter concludes by emphasising that whilst social media has enhanced freedom of expression for many, significant portions of the global population remain excluded from these benefits due to various socio-economic factors.

Citation: Reid, J. 2017. Social media: freedom of expression, and media regulation and policy, in Media Studies. Social (New) Media and Mediated Communication Today, edited by Pieter J. Fourie, Juta publishers, Cape Town: 209-234. ISBN: 9781485115793

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