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1/ Read our new report, “Getting to the Source of Infodemics: It’s the Business Model.” Targeted advertising is exacerbating today’s misinformation infodemic, threatening democratic discourse and public health. https://www.newamerica.org/oti/reports/getting-to-the-source-of-infodemics-its-the-business-model/ #COVID19 #2020Election #ItstheBusinessModel
2/ We call on Congress to hold social media companies accountable for the impact of their targeted advertising business model on the #2020election and the #COVID19 crisis. #ItstheBusinessModel
3/ Hear what we have to say at 11:30am EDT at our launch webinar where co-authors @rmack and @MarechalPhD will discuss how Congress can act to fix the targeted-ad problem – with @GauravLaroia of @freepress https://www.newamerica.org/oti/events/online-getting-to-the-source-of-the-2020-infodemic-its-the-business-model/ #ItstheBusinessModel #democracy #COVID19
4/ Despite taking unprecedented steps to remove misinformation, social media companies cannot effectively moderate content in keeping w/their human rights obligations. #ItstheBusinessModel #COVID19 #2020election
5/ So, policymakers should hold companies accountable for the social impact of their targeted advertising business models, not users’ speech. #ItstheBusinessModel #freedomofexpression
6/ How? We have 5 key recommendations for Congress: 1) Mandate more transparency from social media giants, 2) Pass a federal privacy law, 3) Expand ad regulation, 4) Require due diligence, and 5) Reform corporate governance. #ItstheBusinessModel
7/ On transparency: Users don’t know how content has been boosted, by whom, and how they are targeted. Transparency benefits users, and also researchers, journos, and investors concerned about human rights impact. #ItstheBusinessModel
8/ Privacy law should limit companies to collecting data essential for the platform to function – not advertising. Users should have to opt in to be targeted and should define their own profiles. #ItstheBusinessModel
9/ Congress must pass the Honest Ads Act, requiring platforms to maintain public files with detailed information on the ads they serve. Even more, the database should be available to regulators and independent researchers, and compliance should be audited. #ItstheBusinessModel
10/ Companies must conduct human rights due diligence to identify social impact and mitigate human rights harms stemming from their business models (urgent for the 2020 elections). #ItstheBusinessModel
11/ The @SEC must require companies to phase out dual-class share structures, which impede shareholder proposals and give CEOs the power to override shareholders. #ItstheBusinessModel
12/ Require social media companies to disclose the percentage of revenue generated by targeted ads. Require due diligence (human rights impact assessments, etc.) from social media companies to *prevent* harm. #ItstheBusinessModel
13/ Policymakers should use human rights standards, a time-tested framework that lays down obligations for companies as well as governments. #ItstheBusinessModel
14/ Fully fund the @FTC or create an agency with the resources to hold social media companies to account. #ItstheBusinessModel
15/ It’s too late this year to enact regulation that will protect US elections. Therefore, social media companies should curtail if not stop targeted advertising in the run up to the US elections, and stop targeting ads by political affiliation. #ItstheBusinessModel
16/ Warm thanks to the authors of this report, Senior Policy Analyst Nathalie Maréchal @MarechalPhD, Director Rebecca MacKinnon @rmack, and Deputy Director Jessica Dheere @jessdheere. #ItstheBusinessModel
17/ Thank you also to Paweł Kuczyński for his original illustrations and the witty and provocative way in which they illuminate the complex ideas in this report. #ItstheBusinessModel
18/ Thank you so much to our illustrious expert peer reviewers: @dunstanhope, Sharon Bradford Franklin, Melissa Brown, @BennettFreeman5, @davidakaye, @GauravLaroia, @ericnull, @courtneyr, @spandi_s, and @astepanovich. #ItstheBusinessModel
19/ We would like to thank Craig Newmark Philanthropies ( @craignewmark) for making this report possible. https://www.newamerica.org/oti/reports/getting-to-the-source-of-infodemics-its-the-business-model
20/20 We are also grateful to all of our other funders, who support our ongoing work: https://rankingdigitalrights.org/who/partners
#ItstheBusinessModel
#ItstheBusinessModel
