President Is Wrong About Social Media, Says ITIF; Platforms Are Not Biased Against Conservatives

WASHINGTON—In response to President Trump’s call to strongly regulate or close down social media platforms, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) issued the following statement Wednesday from ITIF Vice President Daniel Castro:

President Trump is mistaken: Social media does not have an anti-conservative bias. Social media provides a valuable platform for voices across the political spectrum to share ideas and information.

Online misinformation is a serious problem, and social media companies have rightfully stepped up to address the problem in partnership with civil society and governments around the world. While there may be occasional missteps, the private sector has shown a tremendous commitment to addressing this problem in a fair and transparent manner.

One reason the United States is the leader in the global Internet economy is that it has a light-touch regulatory approach, which has allowed U.S. social media companies to thrive. The United States should continue to model this approach to governance for other nations by allowing social media platforms to remain free to moderate the content on their platforms as they see fit.

For more analysis of this issue, see:

• Robert D. Atkinson, et al., “A Policymaker’s Guide to the ‘Techlash’—What It Is and Why It’s a Threat to Growth and Progress” (ITIF, October 2019).