Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned about the potential danger social media poses to democracies worldwide, calling on EU leaders to address the influence of tech billionaires who exploit the platform for their own agendas. Sánchez argued that social media, intended to liberate and unite, has instead fueled division and reactionary sentiments, empowering the elite and undermining democratic values.
Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned how social media could threaten democracies around the globe. He called upon European Union leaders to take action from the tech billionaires using the platform to push agendas favorable to their goals – not the masses.
"What truly limits democracy is the power of the elites," Sánchez added. "It is the power of those who think that because they are rich, they are above the law and can do anything. That is why, my friends, that is why the tech billionaires want to overthrow democracy.", but his comments come just days after multiple tech billionaires – including those who own some of the largest social networks – were present at President Donald Trump's inauguration.
"Overall social media has been a double-edged sword, on the one hand, boosting business efforts and facilitating international and domestic connections, and on the other hand its algorithms have contributed to echo chambers, polarization, and self-radicalization for people who spend excessive amount of time online or in self-isolation in these chambers," suggested geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman, president of threat analyst firm Scarab Rising.
"It's a vector for bad information," said Lampe. "For a variety of reasons it tends to lead to everyone taking more extremist views which is bad for the compromise needed to make a republic work. Social media companies tend to use the algorithm to give people self-affirming views rather than views that would help promote democratic dialog."
However, other extremist accounts are still operational, including those that were being funded by Russia.
SOCIAL MEDIA DEMOCRACY TECH BILLIONAIRES ELITE POWER POLITICAL INFLUENCE
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