Analysis and commentary on applied ethics in many fields by the staff of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Why Are Politicians Lying & What is Advertising Doing in Politics?
Two alternative questions to “Should Facebook allow politicians to lie in ads?”
In Support of a More Ethical 2020
Ethical decision making can be the answer to so many of society’s current challenges.
To Deploy AI Wisely, We Need to Understand Its Limitations
Machine learning is not a wise adult. It is a smart child who can process vast amounts of information, but who believes everything you tell it.
What Is the Main Purpose of Social Media: Entertainment or Education?
For social media to be support our democracy, it needs to be used as an educational tool.
Alright, Don’t Ban Political Ads, but Can We Disable Likes and Shares?
Despite Twitter’s, Google’s and Facebook’s varying guidelines for handling political ads, the largest platforms still require additional guardrails to protect our democracy.
Weaponization of Social Media by Authoritarian States
U.S. social media platforms are being used to sow discord around the world – something needs to be done.
Dilemmas about Political Ads on Social Media
Social media’s treatment of political ads presents deep ethical implications.
Speech Versus Reach; Voice Versus Virtue: Understanding the Difference is Key to Facebook’s Democratic Role
A successfully functioning democracy depends on civic discourse -- are Facebook and other social media platforms enabling or stifling such activities?
The Dangers of Political Lies
Facebook’s move to allow lies in political ads can have severe consequences.
The Ethics of “Giving People a Voice” and Political Advertising on Facebook
Facebook’s policies regarding political ads continue to evolve as we approach the 2020 presidential election.
