As if on cue, reports circulated of social media abuse moments after the world learned the names of alleged mail bomber Cesar Sayoc and Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers . Social media has given people a platform to spew hate speech and radical beliefs to other disaffected people, amplifying what are otherwise fringe opinions. "Every hour and every dollar spent policing content is a dollar and hour spent not investing in growing the company," said PW Singer, senior fellow at liberal think tank New America and author of "LikeWar: the Weaponization of Social Media." "But this has become a political football that has hurt social media companies' branding and their reputations." Screening, vetting, limiting or otherwise putting up the digital equivalent of a velvet rope would change social media — but perhaps for the better.

Source: CNN October 29, 2018 17:45 UTC