Divergences in Procedural Accountability: Comparative Analysis of Social Media Political Speech Regulation in the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan

Abstract

After a series of public scandals exposed the role of social media platforms in facilitating and spreading disruptive political speech in 2016, policymakers around the world are reframing content moderation as a public policy problem and many governments have since passed laws that intervene in how speech on social media is governed within their jurisdiction. This paper analyzes Facebook’s response to the local regulatory and cultural contexts of four different countries—the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Taiwan. It examines the intersection of governance of and by digital platforms in relation to political speech online, delving into how Facebook, a global platform company, adjusts to local laws and contexts through its design and language choices, varying levels of publicity, and nuanced partnerships.

Keywords: social media regulation, Facebook