Edwards, Adam, Webb, Helena, Housley, William, Beneito-Montagut, Roser, Procter, Rob and Jirotka, Marina (2021) Forecasting the governance of harmful social media communications : findings from the digital wildfire policy Delphi. Policing and Society, 31 (1). pp. 1-19. doi:10.1080/10439463.2020.1839073 ISSN 1043-9463.

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Abstract

Social media exhibits the core characteristics of emergent technologies. It is disruptive of established ways of organising social relations, is evolving at an exponential pace and its effects, including the production of new ‘goods’ and ‘bads’, are highly uncertain. Interest in understanding these effects has intensified in the context of fears over so-called ‘digital wildfire’, a policy construct referring to rapid propagation of harmful communications, particularly those involving children and other vulnerable social groups but also those threatening the integrity of the political process in liberal democracies. Even so, proponents of social media are anxious to protect its potential for enhancing freedom of speech and revitalising civil society through the redistribution of editorial powers to shape public debate and facilitate the democratic scrutiny and oversight of elites. This article reports findings of the ‘Digital Wildfire policy Delphi’, which asked key informants to consider the political and technical feasibility of regulating harmful social media communications and to forecast likely scenarios for their prospective governance. Key forecasts are that forms of enforcement are limited, stimulating ‘self-regulation’ will become increasingly important but, more controversially, the likelihood is that harm to vulnerable groups will be ‘accommodated’ in liberal democracies as a price to be paid for the perceived political and economic benefits of unmoderated social media. The article concludes with conjectures about future directions in the policing of social media and their implications for shaping the emerging research agenda.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Computer Science
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Social media, Social media -- Government policy, Internet -- Security measures, Online social networks -- Security measures
Journal or Publication Title:	Policing and Society
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	1043-9463
Official Date:	January 2021
Dates:	Date Event January 2021 Published 21 November 2020 Available 14 October 2020 Accepted 23 September 2019 Submitted
Volume:	31
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 1-19
DOI:	10.1080/10439463.2020.1839073
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access (Creative Commons)
Date of first compliant deposit:	31 August 2022
Date of first compliant Open Access:	31 August 2022
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:	Project/Grant ID RIOXX Funder Name Funder ID ES/LO13398/1 [ESRC] Economic and Social Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000269
Is Part Of:	1

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