Former President Barack Obama said Thursday that disinformation on social media is hurting democracy, and that social media companies should be subject to regulation.
One of the biggest reasons for democracys weakening is the profound change thats taken place in how we communicate and consume information, Obama said in a speech at Stanford University.
Obama noted that most people rely on search tools and social media as main sources for news and information, but warned a constant feed of unmoderated content carries dangers.
Over time, we lose our capacity to distinguish between fact, opinion and wholesale fiction, he said.
Obama repeated a call he has raised before for social media companies to be more transparent in sharing how their algorithms determine news feeds.
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So much of the conversation around disinformation is focused on what people post, Obama said, according to The New York Times . The bigger issue is what content these platforms promote,
Obama said social media companies should be subject to regulation to curb the flow of disinformation.
With that power comes accountability and in democracies like ours, at least, the need for some democratic oversight, he said.
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