Former US President Obama calls for increased control over social networks-Information Technology

Mr. Barack Obama said that disinformation on social networks is accelerating the process of political division, so these platforms need to be more tightly controlled.

In a speech at Stanford University, former US President Barack Obama called for greater regulation of social networking corporations in the US, arguing that the power to control the amount of information the public absorbs by the groups. This grouping has deepened political divisions and threatened the backbone of democracy around the globe.

Referring to the problem of misinformation and fakes spreading on social networks, Mr. Obama said that the algorithms used by social media technology should be regulated by the government in the same way as vehicle safety. automobiles, food and many other consumer products.

Former President Obama said: “Tech companies need to be more transparent about how they operate… Too many people discuss disinformation focused on the content people are posting, while the problem is greater lies in the content that the platforms themselves [mạng xã hội] encourage and spread.”

Former US President Barack Obama speaks at a conference at Stanford University. Photo: Jessica Christian/AP.

Obama also voiced support for a proposed amendment to Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act, which protects social media platforms from liability for content posted by users. Proponents of the rule change argue that the change will force social media companies to take stronger measures to prevent dangerous or illegal behavior on their platforms.

In his speech, Mr. Barack Obama cited the effectiveness of using social media during his campaign, but also mentioned his own discomfort with the way social networks were used to interfere with the results. results of the 2016 US presidential election, specifically targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“What still irks me is my failure to fully realize how sensitive we are to lies and conspiracy theories, even if I myself am a nerd,” Obama said. target of misinformation [đề cập đến thuyết âm mưu về giấy khai sinh của bản thân ông Obama]… Mr. Putin did not do this, nor does he need to. We did it ourselves.”

Conference attendees at Stanford University include former US officials, famous academics and representatives of a number of technology companies such as Alphabet (Google, YouTube) and TikTok. The panelists agreed on the issue of misinformation and its divisive impact, but no consensus has yet been reached on a concrete solution to the problem.