Remove Or Reduce? Social Media Content Moderation Through The Lens Of Human Rights

Social media has a content problem. Some posts incite violence or hatred; others spread misinformation or promote self-harm. The instinctive response is removal, but is that always the right tool?

A new paper argues that platforms should often demote rather than remove problematic content, reducing its visibility rather than taking it down entirely. Drawing on international human rights law, it sets out a framework for when demotion is justified, when removal goes too far, and what transparency obligations platforms owe their users. The argument has implications for everything from climate misinformation to eating disorder content to the regulation of use of social media by under 16s.

Joining host Emily McTernan is Jeff Howard, Professor of Political Philosophy and Public Policy at the UCL Department of Political Science and the founding Director of the Digital Speech Lab.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Remove or Reduce: Demoting Content Moderation and Human Rights by Jeff Howard and Beatriz Kira, published in Law and Philosophy.
• The Machine Stops: Should We All Quit Social Media?UCL Uncovering Politics S17E06 with Rob Simpson