M-RCBG Faculty Working Paper Series No. 2021-02
Recommendations to the Biden Administration: On Regulating Disinformation and Other Harmful Content on Social Media
Caroline Atkinson, Paul Barrett, Lynda Clarizio, Dipayan Ghosh, John Haigh, Thomas Melia, Michael Posner, Vivian Schiller and Clint Watts
March 2021
Abstract
This white paper recommends a range of steps the Biden Administration should take to counter disinformation and other harmful content on major social media platforms. In recent years, the spread of disinformation online has eroded crucial democratic institutions and discourse, especially in connection with elections and with disproportionate impact on underrepresented communities. The Administration should move swiftly to address this threat in a variety of ways.