#198: Social Media and Elections (w/ FEC Comm'r Lee Goodman)

Tech Policy Podcast

TechFreedom

Technology

4.8 • 45 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2017

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Russia's meddling in the 2016 election isn't exactly breaking news. But recently, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are facing an intense backlash from prominent Senators after revelations that Russian actors bought hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ads meant to stoke division among Americans on hot button issues like gun control, race relations, and even the recent NFL protests. Should the Federal Election Commission regulate social media ads the same way it does television, radio, and direct mail? What would that mean for the free speech rights of Americans and U.S residents? Many are calling for social media platforms to be treated like public utilities. How might that impact the Internet? Evan discusses with FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman. For a different take, see his former colleague Ann Ravel’s op-ed here. For more on digital free speech, listen to our previous episodes with Goodman: #107 and #116.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Tech Policy Podcast. I'm Evan Swartzrober on today's show, social media and elections.
0:13.4	The whole Russia meddled in the 2016 election story, that's not news. But recently, there have been calls for stricter regulation of platforms like Facebook
0:21.3	and Twitter amid revelations that Russians were buying advertising on those platforms.
0:26.7	Senators like James Langford of Oklahoma and Mark Warner of Virginia have been really hitting
0:31.6	these platforms hard because these operatives from Russia were able to purchase advertising.
0:38.2	Even James Langford said that Russia is stoking divisions over the NFL and the national anthem and the protests we've been seeing, buying advertisement that makes arguments on both sides.
0:50.0	Earlier this month, Facebook acknowledged hundreds of fake accounts, probably from Russia that spent
0:54.3	$100,000 on ads trying to stoke divisive issues like gun control and race relations during
1:00.0	the 2016 elections.
1:01.6	Is it time to regulate these platforms, or could there be unintended consequences for free
1:06.0	speech rights, particularly those of Americans?
1:08.4	Joining me to discuss this is a friend of the show.
1:10.5	He's been on here twice before talking about digital free speech.
1:13.6	Federal Elections Commissioner Lee Goodman.
1:16.1	Commissioner, thanks for coming back.
1:17.3	Evan, thanks for having me back.
1:18.7	Yes, I wish it wasn't such a unfortunate circumstance that brought you back on the show.
1:23.9	But it's a good topic, and I'm glad to have you because few people are better to discuss this with. So given all that's gone on, right, with the Russian meddling, purchasing
1:34.5	advertising, trying to divide us as a country, is it time for your commission to regulate these
1:42.1	companies the same way that you regulate, you know,
1:44.5	television advertising, radio advertising, direct mail.
1:47.8	Well, Evan, let's start with what the law currently provides with respect to foreign expenditures
	...

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