A global study recently conducted by the University of Oxford and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has shown that most people are in favour of imposing restrictions on negative online content, such as threats of violence and discriminatory content.
Extensive research and surveys around the topic regulation of social media and freedom of expression, has revealed that 79% of respondents surveyed believe that online incitements to violence should be removed. A majority of US respondents also supported this but to a lesser extent, at 63%.
Only 17% of respondents believed that users should be allowed to post discriminatory content which specifically attacks groups of people, highlighting a general support for the regulation of some online content. When asked to choose between an unregulated social media platform which prioritises freedom of speech, and one which is entirely devoid of hate speech or misinformation, most were in favour of the latter.
There were also differences in the question of where accountability should lie for creating safer spaces online. 39% of respondents in Brazil, Germany, and the UK believed that this responsibility should lie mainly with the platform operators. There were larger differences in survey responses in regard to support for government accountability for online spaces. For example, 37% German and French respondents supported state-initiated approaches, but only 14% did in Slovakia.
In terms of sensitivity around abuse on social media, 59% of those surveyed believed that hate speech, disrespect and discrimination online were unavoidable. However, a large majority also believed that these platforms can be utilised as spaces of healthy discussion, with only 20% of respondents stating that rudeness is a necessary part of conveying opinions online.
Despite this, Professor of Politics at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations Spyros Kosmidis, said that “we do not necessarily have a universal consensus…people’s beliefs are strongly dependent on cultural norms, political experiences and legal traditions in the various countries. This makes global regulation more difficult.”
The study comes in the wake of important developments in online content regulation. Recently, Meta and X have relaxed regulations intended to restrict fake news and discriminatory content. Late last year, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under 16 year-olds, with social media companies facing fines of up to £25.7m if they do not comply. Questions have been raised as to how easy such a policy will be to enforce and whether responsibility should lie with the social media platform or the operating system.
Research conducted for Safer Internet Day 2024 has shown that while young people are enthusiastic about technological advancements, they require “conversation and better support.” The research also revealed that there is a lack of knowledge around the Online Safety Act 2023, which aims to hold social media companies more accountable for the content circulated on their platforms.
