Two elections too late? Twitter is permanently banning Donald Trump's account, Facebook has suspended it through Inauguration Day, and other social media are jumping on the bandwagon of curbing false claims of a stolen election. For four years, the US president has been spreading disinformation from the Oval Office. His followers had loudly broadcast on various platforms that they were going to march on the Capitol and they did.
Is it now too late for Big Tech to announce it is self-regulating? Whose job is it to define and enforce what is beyond the bounds of free speech? If Europe continues to play by US rules, could the same scenes unfold here?
And is it too much to believe in platforms that all sides trust, where ideas and opinions can be exchanged with civility beyond the echo chamber of one's likeminded virtual tribe? If not, what future for democracy?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Léopoldine Iribarren
