Argumentative essay: Should social media platforms be held responsible for the spread of misinformation?

 

Argumentative essay: Should social media platforms be held responsible for the spread of misinformation?

Social media platforms have become a wonderful place to spend our time nowadays. They not only provide useful information but also provides entertainment and quick news updates. With the rise in Internet users, numerous social media platforms have popped up and numerous companies have been set up. The users are generally free to post anything on social media as long as they follow the code of conducts. This has resulted in an increase in the publication of fake and misleading information. During the elections period, social media platforms are flooded with spam promotional contents and misleading information about the candidates. 

At times like this, it becomes the responsibility of the social media platforms to strictly monitor and regulate the content on their platforms. As ordered by the Indian Government, the social media platforms need to form a team of individual who will continuously monitor and regulate the content being posted and they will take swift action against the posts which are reported by many users. Additionally, the social media platforms should share the information like address and mobile phone number of suspicious account owners with the police agencies. During elections or any religious festival, the social media platforms should make a dedicated section for the event in which only posts which are approved by the moderators are to be appeared. We are seeing a rise in incidents and public outrage which are instigated through social media posts which also lead to damage to public building and government property, therefore it is necessary to strictly regulate the users while also allowing them their right to freedom of expression and speech. If the social media platforms refuse to accept their responsibility, then the government should hold these platforms liable for any incidents.

During the time when social media has become a major of our life, it has become crucial for us to verify the information we find online and to report the content that violates the code of conduct of the platform. It is only with the support of social media platforms; we can fight the rising misinformation and fake content on the Internet.