Research Highlights

False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives

False Accusation Cover
A new report from the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights entitled “False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives” argues there is no reliable evidence to support the claim that tech companies are censoring conservative viewpoints. 

Authored by Paul Barrett, the Center’s deputy director, and J. Grant Sims, a Ropes & Gray Research Fellow with the Center, the research notes the false bias narrative is an example of political disinformation, meaning an untrue assertion that is spread to deceive. The report offers recommendations for the social media industry including: 
  • Provide greater disclosure for content moderation actions
  • Offer users a choice among content moderation algorithms
  • Undertake more vigorous, targeted human moderation of influential accounts
  • Release more data for researchers
The authors recommend that the new Biden Administration take action to: 
  • Pursue a constructive reform agenda for social media
  • Work with Congress to update Section 230
  • Create a new Digital Regulatory Agency
Read the full report on the Center’s website here