Facebook, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2022, has become one of the most influential platforms in the world. With its massive userbase and advanced algorithms that determine what content is shown to users, Facebook has a significant ability to shape public discourse and impact democracy.
Does Facebook undermine or strengthen democracy?
There are arguments on both sides of this issue:
- Undermine democracy:
- Spread of misinformation and propaganda threatens informed civic discourse.
- Algorithms can create “filter bubbles” where users only see viewpoints they already agree with.
- Outsized influence of platform over elections and political movements.
- Strengthen democracy:
- Allows more people to engage with political process who may not otherwise participate.
- Gives a voice to grassroots campaigns and political outsiders.
- Promotes transparency by allowing recording/sharing of events.
There are reasonable arguments on both sides. On balance, however, evidence suggests Facebook may do more to undermine democracy than strengthen it.
How does Facebook undermine democracy?
Spread of misinformation
The spread of misinformation on Facebook is a major threat to democracy. False or misleading stories can be created and shared quickly to large audiences. This misinformation threatens informed civic discourse:
- During 2016 US election, millions interacted with misinformation from Russian troll farms.
- Anti-vaccine misinformation has flourished on Facebook.
- Misinformation about COVID-19, elections, and other issues spreads rapidly.
Research suggests social media algorithms, which are designed to maximize user attention and interaction, inadvertently aid the spread of misinformation. Users tend to interact more with emotive, controversial misinformation than factual stories.
Filter bubbles
Facebook’s algorithms are designed to show users content they are likely to agree with and “Like.” Over time, this creates a “filter bubble” where users mostly see viewpoints and stories that align with their existing beliefs and biases. This can undermine democracy by:
- Limiting exposure to other viewpoints.
- Reinforcing biases and driving political polarization.
- Damaging opportunities for compromise and consensus building.
Influence over elections
Facebook has an outsized influence over elections and political movements:
- Politicians rely on Facebook for communicating with constituents, fundraising, organizing, and turnout efforts.
- Spread of misinformation on Facebook can influence election outcomes.
- Facebook algorithm changes can lift or sink political candidates and campaigns.
This influence is held by a private company with little oversight or accountability. And Facebook has demonstrated failures in preventing election interference, illegal campaign tactics, and other abuses of its platform.
How does Facebook strengthen democracy?
While Facebook’s effects on democracy are concerning, the platform also has some potential benefits:
Increased engagement
Facebook provides a way for more people to engage with political issues and the democratic process. This is especially true for younger users and those who may not be exposed to politics through traditional media:
- 68% of Facebook users in USA report getting news on the site.
- Younger users are more likely to get news primarily through social media.
- Exposure to news on Facebook correlates with increased political participation.
Voice for outsiders
Facebook can give a voice to political outsiders and grassroots campaigns that may be shut out by traditional gatekeepers:
- Allows candidates to communicate directly with voters.
- Lower barriers for grassroots organizing relative to TV, print media, etc.
- Cheap promotion of events and donation drives.
This democratization effect was seen in early Obama presidential campaigns, Arab Spring movement, and more.
Transparency
Facebook Live, photos, and videos allow events and political activities to be recorded and shared widely. This can promote transparency and accountability:
- Instances of police brutality shared on Facebook sparked BLM protests.
- Posts from protests/speeches share politicians’ statements to a broad audience.
What are the main problems Facebook poses for democracy?
In summary, the key issues Facebook introduces for democracy include:
- Spread of misinformation – misinformation flourishes on Facebook and threatens informed debate.
- Filter bubbles – algorithms narrow exposure to other views, driving polarization.
- Election influence – massive unchecked impact over elections and politics.
- Limited oversight – held by a private company with little regulatory accountability.
While Facebook provides some benefits for civic engagement, these problems pose significant threats to the functioning of liberal democracies. Major reforms would be needed to address them.
Case studies on Facebook’s political influence
2016 US Presidential Election
In 2016, Facebook played a major role in the US presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton:
- Candidates heavily utilized Facebook for campaigning and organizing.
- Russian troll farms reached 126 million Americans with misinformation on Facebook.
- Cambridge Analytica controversially leveraged Facebook data to target ads for Trump campaign.
- There are concerns this activity on Facebook influenced the election results.
This demonstrated Facebook’s ability to enable unethical campaign tactics and mass voter manipulation at scale.
COVID-19 Misinformation
The COVID-19 pandemic provided more evidence of how misinformation spreads rapidly on Facebook:
- Anti-vaccine misinformation proliferated around COVID-19 vaccines.
- Posts falsely claimed COVID-19 was a “hoax” or not dangerous.
- Misinformation led some users to resist public health measures.
This potentially weakened the public health response and prolonged the pandemic. Facebook was slow to take action on COVID misinformation due to concerns over limiting speech.
Myanmar Genocide
In Myanmar, Facebook played a role in violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority:
- Rapid increase in Facebook use in Myanmar allowed rumors and hate speech to spread against Rohingya.
- Mobs used Facebook to coordinate attacks on Rohingya villages.
- UN investigators say Facebook contributed to violence and displacement of Rohingya people.
This tragic case demonstrates how Facebook can amplify dangerous speech and enable human rights abuses without proper safeguards in place.
What reforms could help address these issues?
To mitigate Facebook’s risks to democracy, a number of reforms have been proposed:
- Regulation – New laws and oversight around social media data, advertising, misinformation, etc.
- Algorithmic changes – Make changes to reduce spread of misinformation and diversify news feeds.
- Fact-checking – Work with independent fact-checkers to label misinformation.
- Transparency – Disclose more data on ads, targeting, algorithmic processes, etc.
- Corporate governance – Reform Facebook corporate policies to better prioritize user interests over profits.
But reform faces challenges. As a multi-billion dollar company, Facebook has resources and incentives to lobby against reforms that reduce growth and revenue. And as a global service, any regulatory efforts face coordination challenges. While reforms are clearly needed, implementing them remains difficult.
Conclusion
Facebook poses significant risks to the effective functioning of liberal democracies around the world. The rapid spread of misinformation and its unchecked influence over elections and political movements threaten informed civic discourse and government accountability. While it provides some benefits as well, Facebook’s issues far outweigh its strengths when it comes to its effects on democracy. Major reforms and regulation will be necessary, but difficult to achieve, to ensure Facebook and similar platforms contribute to, rather than undermine, the democratic process.