Platforms on trial: an exploration of the media coverage of the Facebook Files/Papers
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Abstract
In recent years, social media platforms have been the subject of intense controversies related to their algorithms, data and designs. However, how these controversies connect platforms to societal harms and effectively redistribute responsibilities remains understudied. From an interdisciplinary perspective between Digital Sociology, Media Studies and Science and Technology Studies, this article analyses the media coverage of the Facebook Files/Papers to identify which actors and issues gained greater visibility to make and unmake the connection between Meta platforms and various societal harms. Combining a computational analysis of the news coverage with an ethnographic approach to the actors involved in the controversy, it identifies a predominance of the whistleblower figure, an emphasis on the negative effects of Instagram on teenage mental health, and the creation of a ‘strategic causalism’ in the way the leaks were framed in order to push for greater criticism and regulation of the platforms. The findings have important implications for the growing demand for greater transparency and platform accountability.
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References
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