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Social Media and Democracy

As social media’s impact on democracy has come into focus, many of the largest platforms have reacted with changes to their handling of political ads – and there’s little agreement on who’s right. Ethics Center staff and scholars unpack some of the many related ethical dilemmas.

The Ethics of “Giving People a Voice” and Political Advertising on Facebook
By Irina Raicu, director of Internet Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

How Start-ups are Challenged as They Mature
By Ann Skeet, senior director of Leadership Ethics at the Markkula Center of Applied Ethics.

Alright, Don’t Ban Political Ads, but Can We Disable Likes and Shares?
By Subramaniam Vincent, director of Journalism & Media Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. 

The Dangers of Political Lies
By David DeCosse, director of Religious and Catholic Ethics and Campus Ethics Programs at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Dilemmas about Political Ads on Social Media
By Peter Minowitz, professor of political science at Santa Clara University and a faculty scholar with the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. 

Speech Versus Reach; Voice Versus Virtue: Understanding the Difference is Key to Facebook’s Democratic Role
By Ann Mongoven, associate director of Health Care Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Weaponization of Social Media by Authoritarian States
By David Sloss, John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Professor of Law at the Santa Clara University School of Law.

What is the Main Purpose of Social Media: Entertainment or Education?
By Brian Patrick Green, director of Technology Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Related Resource
Want to Kill Facebook and Google? Preserving Section 230 Is Your Best Hope
Goldman, Eric, Want to Kill Facebook and Google? Preserving Section 230 Is Your Best Hope (June 3, 2019). Balkinization, New Controversies in Intermediary Liability Law, 2019. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3398631

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