Banning Trump won't fix social media: 10 ideas to rebuild our broken internet by experts   6%

Away from the vitriol, researchers are investigating concrete steps companies, officials and the rest of us can take to tackle the crisis

It was nearing midnight on Tuesday, 12 January when the final plank of Donald Trump’s social media platform fell away. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, Snapchat and, finally, YouTube had all come to the same conclusion: that their platforms – multibillion-dollar American companies that dominate American political discourse – could not be safely used by the president of the United States.

In less than a week, a new president will take office. But considering the role social media played in elevating Trump to the presidency and its part in spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories and calls for violence, it is clear that the end of the Trump presidency won’t provide an immediate fix. There is something fundamentally broken in social media that has allowed us to reach this violent juncture, and the de-platforming of Trump is not going to address those deeper pathologies.

I've been on Parler. It's a cesspit of thinly veiled racism and hate | Malaika Jabali   5%

The ‘free speech’ app used by US Capitol rioters is an unsettling place where the far right encounters mainstream conservatives

“Civil war is coming.”

I saw this message on the social media platform Parler in November, about two weeks after the election was called for Joe Biden. The ominous post followed an even more harrowing message from a different user. “[O]ur people have guns too … it’s time for us to use it!!! Just like in old days.” The poster embedded a photograph of a noose.

Australian communications minister cold on more reforms to rein in social media censorship   -13%

Morrison government has ‘no intention’ of regulating social media platforms beyond draft online safety bill

The Australian communications minister, Paul Fletcher, has poured cold water on suggestions within the Coalition that the government should curb social media companies’ powers to ban users and censor posts.

As Australian conservatives expressed disquiet over social media companies baning the outgoing US president, Donald Trump, from their platforms, the communications minister signalled the government would continue reforms to increase their responsibilities as publishers rather than pursue a laissez-faire approach.

Riots, conspiracy theories and digital cowboys: welcome to 2021   3%

2021 is shaping up to be a challenge for Victoria's opposition, while social media platforms may face a reckoning.

'Down the rabbit hole': Trump backers seek online refuges after big tech backlash   -14%

Online supporters of President Donald Trump are scattering to smaller social media platforms, fleeing what they say is unfair treatment by Facebook, Twitter and other big tech firms looking to squelch misinformation and threats of violence.

What Donald Trumps Twitter ban, US Capitol invasion and Hong Kong Legco siege have in common: cheap talk   -20%

How stupid do our leaders think we are? Pretty stupid, if recent events are any indication. As an American abroad, the past week has provided a deluge of jaw-dropping news to wake up to – the invasion of Capitol Hill, social media platforms banning US President Donald Trump and so on. The events themselves have been widely discussed, but one aspect overlooked repeatedly is the contempt on display for the news-consuming public.Otherwise intelligent, capable people have made transparently cynical…

Parler squeezed as Trump seeks new online megaphone   24%

President Donald Trump has been kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms following his supporters’ siege on the U.S. Capitol. But it remains to be seen how fast or where — if anywhere — on the internet he will be able to reach his followers.

Twitter, Facebook and Co.: The Growing Problem of Online Radicalization   -31%

The raid on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., has shown clearly just how dangerous online radicalization can be. By promoting hate and inciting violence, social media platforms represent a danger to democracy.

Deadly mix of pro-Trump extremists who stormed Capitol not backing down   3%

Those who monitor online chatter say the threat of more violence by far-right fringe groups hasn't abated, though it has been tougher to track since the social media platform Parler went offline

Translation: He Weifang on Trumps Social Media Ban and Free Speech   6%

Following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, Chinese state media quickly propagated the “American chaos” in celebratory fashion. As major U.S. social media platforms banned President Trump’s accounts for his role in stoking the chaos, state media has seized on the situation to make the case that all speech has limits, and to […]

Europe criticizes Trump Twitter ban but not for reason you'd expect   8%

In Europe, social media platforms like Twitter aren’t seen as having the right to bar speech. Rather, that ability should be limited to governments.

Uganda orders all social media to be blocked as hotly contested election looms letter   2%

The Uganda Communications Commission has apparently decided to block all social media platforms “until further notice” as the country prepares to take to the polls on Thursday.
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What Josh Hawley doesn't get about George Orwell   15%

The English writer George Orwell, who died more than 70 years ago, is experiencing a resurgence of popularity among the political right. Last week, Donald Trump Jr. reacted to Twitter's decision to ban his father from the social media platform with a tweet of his own: "We are living Orwell's 1984. Free-speech no longer exists in America. It died with big tech and what's left is only there for a chosen few."

Jobless, Selling Nudes Online and Still Struggling   24%

OnlyFans, a social media platform that allows people to sell explicit photos of themselves, has boomed during the pandemic. But competition on the site means many won’t earn much.

Social media app Parler sues Amazon for cutting internet service   -2%

The messaging app Parler has sued Amazon for cutting its web-hosting service, effectively shutting it down. The social media platform has come under fire for posts by far-right users that encourage violence, including conversations linked to last week's storming of the US Congress. Also in today's show: CES 2021 kicks off an all-digital event, and the price of Bitcoin plunges amid warnings from regulators.

Parler Executive Responds To Amazon Cutoff And Defends Approach To Moderation   3%

Amazon took the social media platform Parler offline, saying Parler wasn't removing threats of violence. Parler Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff tells NPR the site's goal is freedom of speech.