Work

From Scalability to Subsidiarity in Addressing Online Harm

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Large social media platforms are generally designed for scalability—the ambition to increase in size without a fundamental change in form. This means that to address harm among users, they favor automated moderation wherever possible and typically apply a uniform set of rules. This article contrasts scalability with restorative and transformative justice approaches to harm, which are usually context-sensitive, relational, and individualized. We argue that subsidiarity—the principle that local social units should have meaningful autonomy within larger systems—might foster the balance between context and scale that is needed for improving responses to harm.

Source: Social Media + Society

DOI: 10.1177/20563051221126041

Authors: Amy A. Hasinoff, Nathan Schneider

Institutions: University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Boulder

Language: English

Topic: Freedom of Expression and Defamation

Subfield: Law

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $800