Work

Limiting the right to moderate: political equality, social media, and viewpoint-based moderation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: I argue that because many forms of viewpoint-based moderation by major social media companies (SMCs) undermine subjects’ equal opportunity for political influence (EOPI), such moderation violates users’ right to free expression and ought to be prohibited. I then refute three common defenses of SMCs’ freedom to moderate as they please, each of which seeks to establish relevant disanalogies between state- and SMC-imposed speech regulations: the substitution argument, argument from government abuse, and argument from corporate rights. I argue that the presence of substitutes does not excuse viewpoint-based regulation, that the risk of abuse does not meaningfully distinguish state from social media moderation, and that corporate rights are limited by users’ right to EOPI.

Source: Ethics and Information Technology

DOI: 10.1007/s10676-025-09875-w

Author: Chris Bousquet

Institution: College of the Holy Cross

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: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,190