[Air-L] Facebook needs to open up its data to impartial, outside researchers

[Luis E. Hestres]

I strongly agree with Jeff. Facebook and similar social media services have so far escaped a level of scrutiny and regulation commensurate with their influence in (at least American) society. A system through which independent researchers can obtain data samples (with all the necessary privacy protections) from these services is the very least we need as part of a comprehensive regulatory agenda. I think such an agenda should include privacy protections, provisions related to stalking/cyberbullying, competitiveness protections, free speech protections, and other related issues. With the Democratic Party in turmoil after the election, there may be space to put such an agenda into its platform.
 

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Dr. Luis E. Hestres
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication
The University of Texas at San Antonio
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249-0732
http://www.luishestres.com

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On November 12, 2016 at 10:27:26 AM, Jeff Pooley (pooley at muhlenberg.edu) wrote:

Facebook needs to open up its data to impartial, outside researchers: the future of democracy in the U.S. may hang in the balance:  

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2016/11/11/we_can_t_know_whether_facebook_is_to_blame_for_trump_s_win.html


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Jeff Pooley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Media & Communication
Muhlenberg College
2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA 18104
484-664-3677
jeffpooley.com
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