Facebook, Twitter and Google once seemed to encapsulate freedom and connectivity. A showdown is looming in Washington between Congress and the powerful social media companies that have helped define the current unsettled age in western democracies. With those hearings looming, Trump sought on Saturday to downplay the importance of Russian ads and fake news during the election. “Keep hearing about “tiny” amount of money spent on Facebook ads,” the president tweeted. “Facebook was on her side, not mine!”Nonetheless, momentum is building in Congress to start regulating and patrolling the open plains of social media.

Source: The Guardian October 22, 2017 06:01 UTC