In the early days of the Internet, content moderation centered around
relatively uncontroversial issues like terrorist incitement, child pornography,
cyberbullying, and the like. Yet, with the weaponization of social media by
Russia and a host of other political actors, they have come under increasing
pressure to restrict fake news, conspiracy theories, hate speech, and other toxic
content ﬂying around the Internet. They are, in other words, being asked to
perform the same kinds of editorial functions that legacy media organizations
like newspapers and TV channels have traditionally undertaken.

The question today, however, is whether the platforms’ near-monopoly or
oligopoly position puts them in a similar position to the broadcast networks

https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108890960 Published online by Cambridge University Press

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