DIGITAL LIFE

According to a study, the majority of citizens prefer social networks to restrict harmful content such as lies, for example

According to a study by the Technical University of Munich and the University of Oxford, the majority of citizens prefer social networks to restrict harmful content such as physical threats and defamation, but believe that exposure to bigotry or hatred is unavoidable.

According to a study, the majority of citizens prefer social networks to restrict harmful content such as physical threats and defamation, but believe that exposure to bigotry or hatred is unavoidable.

The survey by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Oxford asked around 13,500 people in six European countries and the USA, Brazil, South Africa and Australia in autumn 2024 about the competing goals of freedom of expression and protection against digital abuse and disinformation.

The global debate about whether and how social media content should be regulated has intensified again in recent months.

The survey found that 79% of respondents believe that incitement to violence should be eliminated, with support highest in Germany, Brazil and Slovakia (86%). A majority of respondents in the US also agreed, albeit to a lesser extent (63%).

Only 14% of respondents believe that threats should remain online so that users can respond to them.

Those who believe that users should be allowed to post offensive content to criticise certain groups of people account for 17%. Support for this view is highest in the US (29%) and lowest in Brazil (9%). In Germany, it is 15%.

When asked which type of social media platform they prefer: one with unlimited freedom of expression or one free from hate or misinformation, the majority in all countries preferred safety over digital violence and misinformation. Entrepreneurs such as Mark Zuckerberg (Meta) and Elon Musk (X) “have argued that freedom of expression should take precedence over content moderation on social media”. However, “the study shows that most people in democracies want platforms that reduce hate speech and abuse”, said the study’s lead author, Yannis Theocharis from TUM. 

Despite this, 59% of respondents believe that exposure to bigotry or hatred is inevitable on social media. Thus, 65% expect aggressive comments when expressing their opinions on the platforms, with percentages of 81% in South Africa and 73% in the USA. Theocharis notes a “general resignation” and that people “have the impression that, despite all the promises to combat offensive content, nothing is improving”. 

This acclimatization effect is, for the researcher, “a huge problem because it is gradually undermining social norms and normalizing hatred and violence”. Despite this, the vast majority of people believe that platforms can indeed be places for civilised debate, compared with 20% who believe that sometimes it is necessary to be rude to get your point across, the statement added. The survey also asked who should be primarily responsible for creating a safe environment on social media. 

Overall, 35% of respondents across all countries chose platform operators, 31% private citizens and 30% governments as the main culprits. The percentage of respondents who believe that the responsibility should fall primarily on operators is relatively similar across the countries surveyed, ranging from 39% in Germany, the UK and Brazil to 29% in France, South Africa and Greece.

mundophone