Today, social media has become an integral part of our lives. Social media usage refers to the online communities in which users can share content and interact within. With the widespread nature and freedom of social media, come negative impacts like the utilization of social media to spread inappropriate material, proliferate hate-speech or instigate unrest. Therefore, the need to control social media becomes increasingly essential. Control of social media refers to restrictions or regulation of social media, implemented by governing bodies through means such as legislation or censorship. At a national level, governmental control of social media is a necessary measure to ensure social and national stability. While on a societal level, mediators …show more content…
During the 2011 London Riots, rioters organised the looting and violence through the use of Twitter and Blackberry Messenger. This exemplifies the capability of social media to propagate ideals and garner support for illegitimate or unpeaceful means. Through governmental control of social media, such as conducting cyber surveillance on social media websites, restrictions could have been utilised to pre-empt this threat, like finding the perpetrators and taking necessary legal action against them, or increasing security measures taken to protect civilians during the riot itself. For example, governmental organisations such as the multilateral PRISM or Singapore’s Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) engage in active cyber surveillance, where these bodies constantly monitor internet activity, conduct data profiling and use such data to protect national interests. They also engage in inactive cyber surveillance which involves data collection and access by necessity. Therefore, control of social media can play a critical role in preserving public security and subduing threats to safety, especially in instances when mob mentalities are being spread through social media. Furthermore, as explored in the Social Theory Contract , a citizen gives up some rights, such as privacy, in exchange for the assurance of safety and security by their government. Hence, governments must undertake the responsibility to maintain national stability and protect its citizens by using cyber surveillance as a means to control social
The government is always watching to ensure safety of their country, including everything and everyone in it. Camera surveillance has become an accepted and almost expected addition to modern safety and crime prevention (“Where” para 1). Many people willingly give authorization to companies like Google and Facebook to make billions selling their personal preferences, interests, and data. Canada participates with the United States and other countries in monitoring national and even global communications (“Where” para 2). Many question the usefulness of this kind of surveillance (Hier, Let, and Walby 1).However, surveillance, used non-discriminatorily, is, arguably, the key technology to preventing terrorist plots (Eijkman 1). Government surveillance is a rising global controversy; and, although minimal coverage could possibly result in safer communities, too much surveillance will result in the violation of citizen’s privacy.
The internet is a place where people can freely express their political or other views for people to see. A recent study, Freedom of Net, by the activist group Freedom House shows both the immense censorship of information around the world and the declining freedom of information around the world, “Two-thirds of all internet users, 67 per cent, live in countries where criticism of the government, military, or ruling family are subject to censorship” (APF & Bell). The report by Freedom House digs into the censorship of government criticism, military criticism, and negative views on the ruling family in two thirds of countries studied in the report with governments around the world are silencing the voices of people and their publications. By censoring the people's voices, the governments are able to control the population and their views on not only their own government, but also countries around the world. Governments around the world are stepping up their censorship of public information posted on social media by taking actions to suppress the publications before they even begin. The report by Freedom House shares how police around the world are arresting and punishing those who have taken to social media to complain about a topic that makes the country look bad. The report states: “Social media users face unprecedented penalties, as authorities in 38 countries made
A legally astute social media manager can take advantage of social media by taking the proactive approach. The type of dispute resolution that works the best is negotiation. The best way to control social media transactions is to use the Federal Communications Commence to police it. The branch of government that could regulate social media the best would be the Legislative Branch. The agency relationship that works the best with social media is the authority of electronic agents.
A fundamental dimension of modernity is the emergence of coordinated administrative power. The nation state is the prime site if such power but is also a part of modern organisations in general. Administrative power is based upon the control of information. Administrative power is enforced through surveillance where information is routinely used to monitor the activities of a subject population. No less than capitalism or industrialism, surveillance is a tool in levering the modern social world further away from traditional modes of socialisation.
Present day, it is seen that the government is having more control over the country which in effect, poses a danger to the people. They lose their individuality in response to the country aiming to be all-powerful and stable. In today’s society, the government has everyone under surveillance through the internet, cell phones, and even vehicles. Many would argue that it is an act against the privacy of the people a...
Over the past fifteen years, the use of social media by both the general public and by the business world has expanded dramatically. Social media is one of a number of social technologies - any technological device or technique that can be used to facilitate communication between individuals. Social technology includes everything from the telephone to Wikipedia. Social media, on the other hand, is the use of media platforms which were specifically create to connect users with other users and give them a peak into each other's lives by allowing them exchange information, messages, ideas, pictures, and other personal communication. However, it’s been known to abuse this rapidly growing technology.
Kukulka, Mateusz. "Online Is Not Private." Mateusz Kukulka. Kviar Finest Digital Agency, 24 July 2011. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
One of the many details shown is that mass surveillance has not had an apparent impact on the prevention of terrorism (Greenwald, 2013). Most of the information gathered has not been used to impede a terrorist attack. Surveillance does not protect the rights to life, property and so on from being violated by terrorists. However it gives the citizen...
However, government agencies, especially in America, continue to lobby for increased surveillance capabilities, particularly as technologies change and move in the direction of social media. Communications surveillance has extended to Internet and digital communications. law enforcement agencies, like the NSA, have required internet providers and telecommunications companies to monitor users’ traffic. Many of these activities are performed under ambiguous legal basis and remain unknown to the general public, although the media’s recent preoccupation with these surveillance and privacy issues is a setting a trending agenda.
This world as we know is heading towards a more virtual era, where everything we need to know is under the palm of our hands. We have many devices such as smart phones, tablets, computers, which gives us access to an infinite amount of information. This virtual life style we are becoming accustomed to introduced us to social media. An increase amount of interaction is being built between known and unknown users from all around the world. Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, twitter, and even tumbler have become an everyday routine of our daily lives. In this modern society, all these social media websites have brought about a significant amount of impact in many of us. It has really influenced its users on how to conduct their lives.
Social media can impact a life of an individual at many levels. On social media, each individual has the power to be influential and important. There is a freedom of expression on soci...
Social media has caused a substantial decrease in face-to-face time, stopped people from working effectively, and has caused an increase in bullying. Social media as defined by dictionary.com is “websites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts”. People use social media for networking, education, and entertainment. Some of today’s most popular social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Facebook is used as a basic social media site.
Social media is a controversy topic in today’s society. Some people think that social media destroys human interaction and real life human relationships. While others think that social media is a bless to humanity. Social media makes human interaction much more convenient and much faster than real life human interaction, it makes globalization a reality, it gives a chance for introverted people to express themselves, and it also benefit develop international relationships whether its business or social.
Social media and the internet has become apart of the culture of this generation. Many people turn to social media for various reasons such as news, networking, games, and other time wasting activities. Social media and the internet has affected the development of people of our generation by contributing to less social interactions, strengthening communication skills, and online harassment.
Social media is quickly evolving in front of our eyes, and it is almost impossible to reject and hide from this new form of media. Not only is it an important part of socialization within peer groups, but now it is used to market and motivate people to become a part of a larger community. It is undeniably changing the way one communicates and how one finds and shares information. Most websites offer communication through the use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and many other blog formats. With new apps on smartphones and photography and video made digital, media can be created, edited and shared quickly and once it is in this new digital cloud it is not yours anymore.