Because the definition of misinformation is subjective, clear guidelines are necessary for its removal from social media platforms

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

Requiring social media platforms to prevent users from lying or defaming others serves the greater public good

Social media companies should be required to remove misinformation only when it is illegal or constitutes a tortious action under United States law, such as libel or slander

The application of First Amendment free speech protections to private social media companies is currently ambiguous and should be more clearly defined

Misinformation on social media can be highly harmful, particularly concerning elections

Speech on social media platforms should be protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution

Social media companies have a responsibility to remove content that falls under illegal categories such as libel or defamation

Users who present themselves as sources of information on social media have a responsibility to ensure their facts are correct

Expressing a personal opinion about a circumstance is fundamentally different from stating a verifiable falsehood

Social media platforms should never censor political opinions

Governments pressure social media companies to censor speech that is not misinformation but goes against political norms or majority opinion

Governments are pressuring social media companies to censor misinformation

A person banned by all major technology companies, such as YouTube, Instagram, and Meta, has no speech left at all

Regional institutions like the European Union have influence over technology companies, causing them to block content in certain countries

Governments can use regulations to prevent technology companies from implementing freedom of speech online

Governments and multilateral institutions influence and pressure technology companies through regulations concerning AI governance, censorship, and security

The ability of social media companies to remove a user is more potent than government pressure to censor certain types of speech

Social media companies can use their terms of service to remove a user for any reason, making that person disappear from the digital world

Governments in Europe have pressured social media companies to censor speech that is close to hate speech

The European Union is fining technology companies like Meta, pressuring them to censor content

Twitter, when it was known as Twitter, and YouTube have banned or demonetized users for referring to transgender people by their original name or sex