‘SOCIAL MEDIA’S TOXICITY IS A FEATURE’
Jim Balsillie, retired co-CEO of Research In Motion, testified Tuesday at the hearings of the International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy in Ottawa. This is an edited version of his prepared remarks.
“Disinformation and fake news are just two of the many negative outcomes from unregulated attention-based business models. They cannot be addressed in isolation. To agonize over social media’s role in proliferation of online hate, conspiracy theories, politically motivated misinformation and harassment is to miss the root and scale of the problem.
“Second, social media’s toxicity is not a bug — it’s a feature. Technology works exactly as designed. Technology products, services and networks are not built in a vacuum. Usage patterns drive product development decisions. Behavioural scientists involved with today’s platforms helped design user experiences that capitalize on negative reactions because they produce far more engagement than positive reactions.
“Third, among the many valuable insights provided by whistleblowers inside the tech industry is this quote: ‘The dynamics of the attention economy are structurally set up to undermine the human will.’ Democracy and markets work when people can make choices aligned with their interests. The online advertisement-driven business model subverts choice and represents a foundational threat to markets, election integrity and democracy itself.
“Fourth, technology gets its power through control of data. Data at the micro-personal level gives technology unprecedented power to influence. Data is not the new oil — it’s the new plutonium. Amazingly powerful, dangerous when it spreads, difficult to clean up and with serious consequences when improperly used. Data deployed through next generation 5G networks is transforming passive infrastructure into veritable digital nervous systems.
“With these observations in mind, here are my six recommendations for your consideration:
— Eliminate tax deductibility of specified categories of online ads.
— Ban personalized online advertising for elections. — Implement strict data governance regulations for political parties.
— Provide effective whistleblower protections.
— Add explicit personal liability alongside corporate responsibility to affect CEO and board of director decision-making.
— Create a new institution for like-minded nations to address digital cooperation and stability.
“Technology is disrupting governance and if left unchecked could render liberal democracy obsolete. By displacing the print and broadcast media in influencing public opinion, technology is becoming the new Fourth Estate.”