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Is it time to regulate social media?

Is it time to regulate social media?

Should Facebook and others take responsibility for what appears on their platforms?

Business Daily · BBC World Service

February 22, 201917m 55s

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Show Notes

Should Facebook and others be forced by governments to take responsibility for what people are exposed to on their platforms?

Social media companies' algorithms have come under particular scrutiny, with allegations that they push inappropriate content - such as neo-Nazi propaganda, self-harm videos and conspiracy theories - to its users, including to children. "Angry Aussie" YouTuber Andrew Kay describes how the video sharing platform shifted from being a site for video bloggers, to a place where contributors will do or say anything in order to get attention, and thereby earn money.

Meanwhile Professor Alan Woodward, a cyber security expert at the University of Surrey, tells Vishala Sri-Pathma what he thinks governments should be doing to rein these global digital behemoths in.

(Picture: Teenager looking at her smart phone in bed; Credit: Ljubaphoto/Getty Images)