Censorship and Freedom of Expression in the
Age of Facebook
New Mexico Law Review, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2014
47 Pages Posted: 12 May 2014
Benjamin F. Jackson
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
Date Written: February 17, 2014
Abstract
Social network websites such as Facebook and Twitter have assumed a place of great
importance in contemporary social life and politics, transforming how individuals interact with
each other and how social and political movements organize and communicate with the broader
public. While thus far social network websites have served as open and free forums for speech
and debate, they face several internal and external pressures to engage in censorship. This
Article argues that federal courts can and should extend First Amendment protections to
communications on social network websites. Communications on social network websites are
especially deserving of protection under the First Amendment because they invoke the
freedoms of speech, press, and association, and because social network websites strongly
resemble the spaces that the Supreme Court has protected under the public forum doctrine.
However, because social network websites are privately owned, actions by social network
websites to censor content would ordinarily fall outside the ambit of the Constitution’s
protections. Nevertheless, courts can and should treat social network websites as state actors
under the public function exception to the state action doctrine and, when appropriate, the
entwinement exception to the state action doctrine.
Keywords: First Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, state action, freedom of speech, freedom
of the press, freedom of association, freedom of expression, social network, social networking,
Facebook, Twitter
Reference: [Link]
abstract_id=2435568&fbclid=IwAR1fRicSn9mwAgHO-wLPvDW1NGilWNfzCn74l7Gl_lLt-VU6-
Lqu6xA26lU
Freedom of Expression, Social Media
Censorship, and Property Rights
Pavel Slutskiy
Chulalongkorn University
Sustainable Development Goal 16 stresses the importance of access to information. It is
clearly emphasized in target 16.10 — “to ensure public access to information and protect
fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements”.
With social media becoming the default communication platforms, the questions of the extent to
which their content moderating models are conducive to the implementation of public access to
information and fundamental freedoms are becoming increasingly important. Facebook,
Instagram, Tumblr as well as Twitter and other social media platforms have been recently
criticized for censorship of user-generated content. This article looks at the controversy
surrounding these policies from the property rights perspective —focusing on the role which
property rights play in securing the freedom of expression. By recognizing the owners’ right to
control the legitimately owned property, I conclude that social media are not engaged in
“censorship” —they merely exercise property rights. There is a difference between a private
platform refusing to carry someone’s ideas on their property and a government prohibiting from
speaking on a legitimately owned property. Keywords: SDG 16.10, freedom of expression,
censorship, social media, property rights.
Keywords
SDG 16.10, freedom of expression, social media, censorship, property rights
Reference: [Link]
fbclid=IwAR2Gqknm4q1sRABROB2O0sX6xk7yA1UABevNcER0Ko4Q787bxFpS2k9sQDQ
E-waste issues and measures in the Philippines
Published: March 2006
Psyche M. Fontanos
Abstract
The continuous dependence on electronic equipment at home and in the workplace has
given rise to a new environmental challenge: electronic waste. Electronic waste, or e-waste,
refers to electronic products that no longer satisfy the needs of the initial purchaser. These can
include a wide variety of goods, such as computers, cellular phones, TVs, refrigerators, air
conditioners, washing machines, and video cameras. These pieces of equipment contain
hazardous materials such as lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and chromium that pose both
an occupational and environmental health threat. Although electronic equipment is considered
safe during use, the potential for release of the toxic constituents increases during storage or
disposal. Because of the growing number of discarded electronic devices resulting from rapid
product obsolescence, this type of waste is an emerging concern among developing countries.
This study estimates the current and future quantity of e-waste in the Philippines, with a focus
on televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and radios. Data from the
National Statistics Office (NSO) serve as the input to a simple end-of-life model for each type of
electronic device. Mathematical equations are derived incorporating other factors, such as the
number of electronic devices in use, current end-of-life management practices, serviceable
years of the product, and disposal behavior of consumers. An accurate estimation of e-waste
generation would be useful in policy making as well as in designing an effective management
scheme to avoid the potential threats of health impacts or environmental pollution. Preliminary
estimates show that at the end of 2005, approximately 2.7 million units became obsolete and
about 1.8 million units required landfilling. Over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2005,
approximately 25 million units became obsolete. An additional 14 million units are projected to
become obsolete in the next 5 years.
Reference: [Link]
fbclid=IwAR1hCp6Ky2Qf2OKTjj_OsRxelt7u05vGx_KkWo4juvuL4-O1wbG4u4_wd1w
The challenge of privacy and security when
using technology to track people in times of
COVID-19 pandemic
Hermanus J Smidt & Osden Jokonya
Abstract
Since the start of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) governments and health
authorities across the world have find it very difficult in controlling infections. Digital technologies
such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, blockchain and 5G have effectively
improved the efficiency of efforts in epidemic monitoring, virus tracking, prevention, control and
treatment. Surveillance to halt COVID-19 has raised privacy concerns, as many governments
are willing to overlook privacy implications to save lives. The purpose of this paper is to conduct
a focused Systematic Literature Review (SLR), to explore the potential benefits and implications
of using digital technologies such as AI, big data and cloud to track COVID-19 amongst people
in different societies. The aim is to highlight the risks of security and privacy to personal data
when using technology to track COVID-19 in societies and identify ways to govern these risks.
The paper uses the SLR approach to examine 40 articles published during 2020, ultimately
down selecting to the most relevant 24 studies. In this SLR approach we adopted the following
steps; formulated the problem, searched the literature, gathered information from studies,
evaluated the quality of studies, analyzed and integrated the outcomes of studies while
concluding by interpreting the evidence and presenting the results. Papers were classified into
different categories such as technology use, impact on society and governance. The study
highlighted the challenge for government to balance the need of what is good for public health
versus individual privacy and freedoms. The findings revealed that although the use of
technology help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus,
government surveillance to halt has sparked privacy concerns. We suggest some requirements
for government policy to be ethical and capable of commanding the trust of the public and
present some research questions for future research.
Keywords
COVID 19,tracking society technology, privacy
Reference: [Link]
fbclid=IwAR3WmiUc88I4p1tXqBA5Oyg9CnSrimAqj1ztQ4dCZ38MFeE-9MFaF-BN1nM
Title of The Issue:
Censorship and Freedom of Expression in the Age of Facebook
Source:
Google:[Link]
abstract_id=2435568&fbclid=IwAR1fRicSn9mwAgHO-wLPvDW1NGilWNfzCn74l7Gl_lLt-VU6-
Lqu6xA26lU
Author:
Benjamin F. Jackson
Summary Narrative:
Social network websites like Facebook and Twitter are crucial in contemporary social life and
politics, transforming communication and interaction. However, they face pressures to engage in
censorship. This article suggests that federal courts should extend First Amendment protections
to communications on these platforms, as they invoke freedoms of speech, press, and
association. Courts should treat these websites as state actors under the public function
exception and entwinement exception.
What lesson have you learned?
I have learned that the use of social media has always a positive and negative effects in our
society. We always have the freedom to express our emotions, but we should always think first
before doing something that can cause any issue.
What suggestions can you offer?
I think aside from the help of the government, we netizens should be responsible in using
digital platforms such as twitter and Facebook. And for the company’s owner, the websites and
content should be banned so that many users will be protected.
Title of The Issue:
Freedom of Expression, Social Media Censorship, and Property Rights
Source:
Google:[Link]
fbclid=IwAR2Gqknm4q1sRABROB2O0sX6xk7yA1UABevNcER0Ko4Q787bxFpS2k9sQDQ
Author:
Pavel Slutskiy
Summary Narrative:
SDG 16.10 emphasizes the importance of access to information and protecting fundamental
freedoms. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter have faced
criticism for censoring user-generated content. This article examines the property rights
perspective, arguing that social media are not engaged in censorship but rather exercise
property rights, distinguishing between private platforms and governments prohibiting speech on
legitimately owned property.
What lesson have you learned?
We all have the rights to use different platforms by technology but I have learned that some
people uses this power to do unnecessary things, and this is the bad thing that the people
should avoid to do.
What suggestions can you offer?
I suggest to temporarily banned people who are not following the rules in using technology
and let them realized it on their own and if they make the same mistakes twice then banned
them permanently. I also suggest to ask for an Identification card in making an account for
digital platforms.
Title of The Issue:
E-waste issues and measures in the Philippines
Source:
Google:[Link]
fbclid=IwAR1hCp6Ky2Qf2OKTjj_OsRxelt7u05vGx_KkWo4juvuL4-O1wbG4u4_wd1w
Author:
Psyche M. Fontanos
Summary Narrative:
Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to obsolete electronic products containing hazardous
materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and chromium. This growing issue is particularly
concerning in developing countries. A study estimates the current and future quantity of e-waste
in the Philippines, focusing on televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and
radios. The data from the National Statistics Office is used to create an end-of-life model for
each type of electronic device. Estimates show that by 2005, 2.7 million units became obsolete,
and 1.8 million required landfilling.
What lesson have you learned?
I see that while people use technology for daily living, it also causes a negative impact for
our environment so we should be a responsible consumer.
What suggestions can you offer?
I suggest that the companies should make products that can be recycled instead of producing
products which may affect our society.
Title of The Issue:
The Challenge of Privacy and Security when using Technology to track people in times of
COVID-19 pandemic
Source:
Google:[Link]
fbclid=IwAR3WmiUc88I4p1tXqBA5Oyg9CnSrimAqj1ztQ4dCZ38MFeE-9MFaF-BN1nM
Author:
Hermanus J Smidt & Osden Jokonya
Summary Narrative:
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted governments and health authorities to use digital
technologies like AI, big data, and cloud computing to monitor and control the virus. However,
this has raised privacy concerns. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to explore
the potential benefits and implications of these technologies in tracking COVID-19. The study
found that while technology helps reduce the virus spread, government surveillance has
sparked privacy concerns. The study suggests ethical requirements for government policy and
research questions for future research.
What lesson have you learned?
This article help me to know that technology has a major contribution when we are facing the
COVID 19 Pandemic. Therefore, some people abuse it and hacked some data that should be in
private. I learned that never go on to something which is not yours and always ask for
permission.
What suggestions can you offer?
I suggest to always check you private data on different platforms we are using, always
remember to read first before accepting something and make a safe password for your
accounts.