Americans are outraged to hear that Cambridge Analytica helped President Trump gain access to the same social media data that former President Barack Obama used during his campaign. In response, many have called for government regulation of Facebook. Some have gone as far as demanding the government classify Facebook and other social media as essential utilities.
Before hopping on the regulation bandwagon, conservatives must remember the only thing scarier than big corporations having access to our data is big government having access and control over our data.
Facebook is not an essential public utility. Public utilities include electricity, gas, water, and sewage. They are also often monopolies because of the geographic or cost restrictions involved in maintaining them. Facebook has no place among these utilities. Anyone can start a social networking website for little to no cost, and while social media might provide a great outlet to connect with old friends, it’s not comparable to water or electricity.
If the government classifies Facebook as a public utility they are giving them a monopoly over social media and America will be stuck with the platform forever. This would be a reward for Facebook and a punishment for everyone else. Facebook users can say goodbye to new, innovative social platforms and say hello to Big Brother Mark Zuckerberg.
Public utilities are also subject to strict regulations and scrutiny by government. Classifying Facebook as a utility, or even heightening regulations to a higher standard than every other business, risks government playing a role in deciding what content users can post and view. If users were uncomfortable with a political candidate having access to their data, it seems counterintuitive to give the elected candidate control of their data.
Many receive the majority of their news from social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If the government decides to impose additional regulations on these platforms, it effectively becomes the same as regulating news shows or news publications. Political regulation might not be an issue for real public utilities like water, but it would be a cause for concern when regulating media platforms that provide news. Even if the regulation is somehow apolitical, it risks appearing political and undermining the platform. More likely, regulation starts out fine but morphs into something more heinous in the future.
Fake news appears everywhere and advertising companies glean information from every aspect of our digital profiles. Regulating Facebook will not stop the encroachment of technology into our lives or restore the same sense of privacy of our parents generation. Instead, it infantilizes adults and says that users are incapable of managing their own social profiles – risks and all.
Whether or not you read Facebook’s terms and conditions before clicking “agree” is your decision, but the terms are posted. By hitting accept you consent to Facebook’s policies. If you are angry that your information is used in the way described by the terms and conditions you didn’t read, don’t blame Facebook, blame yourself. Government regulation won’t solve your problems, but you can.
