New Zealand PM calls for more government control over social media: Think Tank

Photo Source: By Newzild - Own work

A think tank director has said Jacinda Ardern's calls for greater social media oversight are very dangerous, because they aim to prevent "misinformation" and "radicalization."

Ardern described social media as a threat to democracy during her Harvard keynote speech Friday, urging tech giants and governments to work together to confront misinformation.

Social media giants have come under increasing pressure to "back government narratives" as censorship continues to be a significant concern, according to Newman.

“This raises an obvious question: to what extent are governments influencing social media content? And is that influence solely due to the threat of regulation, or have social media companies become overly reliant on revenue generated from government agencies?” she said.

31 May 2022