Equality, Platform Governance and Wellbeing

• Duration: 2022 – 2025
• Project lead: Prof. Dr. Christian Katzenbach, Dr. Paloma Viejo Otero

Head: Prof. Dr. Chrisitan Katzenbach, Dr. Paloma Viejo Otero

Lab: Platform Governance, Media and Technology

Funding: YUFE Postdoctoral Program

The project “Equality, Wellbeing and Platform Governance” investigates whether the rules and moderation policies of social platforms in relation to hate speech play a significant role in the discrimination and resulting wellbeing of minorities in Europe. The project aims to examine how greater inclusion of European minority groups in the governance of platforms can improve equality and well-being in the digital society.

Social Wellbeing and Discrimination

The fundamentals of Social Wellbeing Theory are that a well-lived life is the one in which individuals social value lies in their capacity to contribute to society (Kayes 1998). However, European research points out that not all individuals begin their conquest for social wellbeing with the same assets. For instance, Roma population and homeless people, continue being subject of vigilance and securitization by local groups of vigilantes who organise online (Vasiuc 2019, Viejo Otero and Siapera 2015), migratory background continues to negatively affect the life trajectories of migrants’ descendants (Gabrielli and Impicciatore 2021), and individuals with diverse functionality continually encounter ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ barriers that ultimately determine long-term inequality gaps (Venturiello et al. 2020). In order to have a good life, Social Wellbeing theory considers that it is the sociasl structure’s duty to facilitate an individuals ability to contribute to society by guaranteeing or facilitating access to opportunity, freedom, or equality (Adler and Seligman 2016). Question, however is, how social media platforms, understood as social structures, guarantee minorities equality ?

Traditionally, Europe derives from a history a duty of remembrance, vigilance and combat against discrimination that targets specific ghroups i.e.: individuals with diverse functionality, Roma, Jews or women (EU 2015). European position, however is opposed to the United States whose understanding of hate speech regulation oscillates between freedom of expression absolutist positions to speech- by which speech has no boundaries- (O’Flaherty, 2012, White 1996), and neutral viewpoints towards discrimination, that specifically punishes the ‘act of discrimination’ regardless the historical background of the target or perpetrator (Altman 1993).

Pltafrom Governance on Hate Speech and Discrimination

These particular differentiations on hate speech regulation are reflected on how social media platforms govern content. Popular social media platforms operating in Europe, are rather based in the United States or follow the success of its business model. Their policies derive from the understanding that users have the right of freedom of expression and the right of safety. Consequently, popular platforms like Facebook understand equality under neutral lenses and operate hate speech policies under security lenses (Viejo Otero 2021).

In treating hate speech as a security matter, most platforms’ community guidelines restrict blatant hate speech and incitement to violence by eliminating them in less than 24 hours (european Code of Conduct). However, their policies do not specifically prioritise minority-specific groups, neither the history or context of these groups. Instead, they adopt neutral viewpoint standards for what coinstitutes discrimination, resulting in the free circulation of content that specifically affects minorities (Matamoros Fernandez, 2017). As a result, popular social media platforms do not facilitate minorities euqal recognition, neither diminish the effects of structural barriers that minorities encounter to contribute to society (Siapera and Viejo, 2021, Siapera et. ALL. 2018)).

In considering all of the above, it is crucial to carefully examine popular and alternative social media platforms operating in Europe and their specific treatment to European minorities. It is important to document the effects that current social media platforms have upon minority groups in Europe. And it is equally important to make visible ideas and contributions from minorities tio improve current and future media platforms governing systems.

Therefore, in considering these needs and the relevance of the present research, the proposed project has been organised on three Phases

Phase 1: A systematic analysis of Platform Policies that operate in Europe according to their treatment to minority groups. Analysis will be followed by categorisation of these platforms according to ‘four approaches to hate speech regulation’: Scoial Justice Approach, Neutral Approach, Freedom of Expression, Absolutism Approach, European Approach’ (Viejo Otero 2022)

Phase 2: To document the sentiments and thoughts on the effects of popular social media platfroms over minority groups by using in depth interviews. To organise a series of workshops with minority communities to create ideas of how to improve social media platforms policies.

Phase 3: To inform platform governance policies on European minority groups’s views by editing a graphic book that includes the blueprints of social media tools and models of governance that would potentially facilitate minorities access to equality and wellbeing in the digital sphere.

(Project is currently in Phase 1)