HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- A few companies have established a near-monopoly
over the digital public sphere, leading to dysfunction on social
media, according Nikolas
Guggenberger, a University of
Houston Law Center Assistant Professor.
"A tiny group of corporations governs online speech, causing
systemic problems to public discourse and individual harm to
stakeholders," said Guggenberger, who specializes in antitrust,
technology, and regulation. "Market concentration creates
monocultures for communication."
Guggenberger proposes possible solutions to address this issue
in his legal article "Moderating Monopolies," which was published
in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal recently. In the article, he
outlines three remedies to reduce this market power: requiring
platforms to open up to outside content, limiting exclusive
control, and adopting no-fault liability in antitrust laws. These
measures aim to encourage better content moderation and promote
healthier public discourse.
We have spent a lot of attention on the banning and
deplatforming of certain individuals. The fundamental problem that
remains is there are one to three entities that decide what we get
to see online. That is so fundamentally different than anything in
any other area of the speech-related economy," said
Guggenberger.
He highlighted competition in other sectors of the media
industry.
"We wouldn't accept a situation in which there are only two
newspapers or only two TV channels. In these areas we've opted for
pluralism, because we understand enormous concentrations of power
over discourse are highly problematic."
In the article, Guggenberger also touched upon additional
concerns raised by social media related to AI and mental
health.
"Misinformation on social media has been a huge problem for
years," he said. "This really gets supercharged with more powerful
algorithms and specifically artificial intelligence. Other issues
that are emerging are growing mental health concerns on social
media. Various social media applications have certain repercussions
for our mental health and social behavior. Young people and
adolescents are especially prone to be exposed to those kinds of
consequences."
University of Houston Law Center
media contacts: Carrie Anna
Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and
Marketing, 713-743-2184, cacriado@central.uh.edu;
Bonnie Buffaloe, Communications
Manager, 713-743-9137, blbuffaloe@uh.edu.
About the University of Houston
Law Center
The University of Houston
Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top-tier law school
located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law,
Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S.
News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of
Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of
Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a
powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 12 centers and
institutes that fuel its educational mission and national
reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar
Association and is a member of the Association of American Law
Schools.
About the University of
Houston
The University of
Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public
research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for
excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally
competitive Houston and Gulf Coast
Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and
strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's
fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally
diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated
Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with an enrollment
of more than 47,000 students.
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SOURCE University of Houston Law
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