When are we going to start calling a spade and spade? Social media "platforms" are publishers - on steroids.
They should be legally responsible for every piece of content they carry, in the same way that (I believe?) traditional publishers and media institutions are.
If the technology is not robust enough to handle that, then the business model and ux should be forced to change.
If we lose free access to the flood of shit low-value content that we have been bombarded with over the last 20 years, what are we really losing that is of any true value, and what could we all (re)gain?
If the US won't reform Section 230, then other markets should de-couple from their social media publishers.
I am so sick of living in the era of Peak Bullshit that has arisen as a result of Silcon Valley's ability to create manipulative, divisive, surveillance-tech monopolies subject to almost no regulation.
We need to turn the tide, so that user data and screen time are no longer the basis of the product and business model.
Then we might stand a chance of having well-designed, genuinely useful tech products again - and democratic societies where we are capable of having civilised, reality-based debate which enables us to collectively solve the many urgent problems we are facing.
(I appreciate this piece is focused on TikTok from China, but similar accusations can be leveled at all social media products.)
And that this would force the hand of regulators and courts to do the unthinkable, and break these companies up.
That's what is now happening, which means all our efforts now need to focus on building a new, better, more inclusive, competitive, and innovative web that works for everyone.
On Tuesday, I will publish a model for this created with a small spearhead of global publishers...
Look forward to seeing that, Ricky. Keep pushing the debate forward to seize the initiative while things are (hopefully and finally) in flux. I believe there is a massive ground-swell of support for potential reforms, which is growing fast. Good luck!
Hmmm, not sure I can agree. And even it was convenient for getting info to people, TikTok could have done it in a million other ways than addicting kids for profit.
When are we going to start calling a spade and spade? Social media "platforms" are publishers - on steroids.
They should be legally responsible for every piece of content they carry, in the same way that (I believe?) traditional publishers and media institutions are.
If the technology is not robust enough to handle that, then the business model and ux should be forced to change.
If we lose free access to the flood of shit low-value content that we have been bombarded with over the last 20 years, what are we really losing that is of any true value, and what could we all (re)gain?
If the US won't reform Section 230, then other markets should de-couple from their social media publishers.
I am so sick of living in the era of Peak Bullshit that has arisen as a result of Silcon Valley's ability to create manipulative, divisive, surveillance-tech monopolies subject to almost no regulation.
We need to turn the tide, so that user data and screen time are no longer the basis of the product and business model.
Then we might stand a chance of having well-designed, genuinely useful tech products again - and democratic societies where we are capable of having civilised, reality-based debate which enables us to collectively solve the many urgent problems we are facing.
(I appreciate this piece is focused on TikTok from China, but similar accusations can be leveled at all social media products.)
All very true. I predicted last August that we had now reached peak tech for this era. https://rickysutton.substack.com/p/weve-reached-peak-tech-and-thats
And that this would force the hand of regulators and courts to do the unthinkable, and break these companies up.
That's what is now happening, which means all our efforts now need to focus on building a new, better, more inclusive, competitive, and innovative web that works for everyone.
On Tuesday, I will publish a model for this created with a small spearhead of global publishers...
Look forward to seeing that, Ricky. Keep pushing the debate forward to seize the initiative while things are (hopefully and finally) in flux. I believe there is a massive ground-swell of support for potential reforms, which is growing fast. Good luck!
It's bullshit
TikTok’s claims, or the case?
The case. It's just because Tiktok was useful for getting information to people
Hmmm, not sure I can agree. And even it was convenient for getting info to people, TikTok could have done it in a million other ways than addicting kids for profit.
You mean like Facebook for Boomers?
Or not hurting kids at all. Facebook is arguably worse, and we will hear about that at its court trial in a few months' time.