The Foreign Desk Is social media a threat to national security?
Sep 27, 2025
Join MP Christine Jardine, who dives into the urgent need for regulating social media like traditional publishers to combat hate speech. Political editor James Ball analyzes the shift in platform dynamics under Elon Musk and the rise of toxic online spaces. He highlights practical government actions to curb misinformation. Nina Pentinen shares Finland’s innovative multimedia approach in classrooms, emphasizing critical media skills against rapid content. Together, they explore the profound implications social media has on national security and societal trust.
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Platform Owner Incites A Rally
- Elon Musk addressed a 100,000-strong London crowd via X and urged them to "back fight or die."
- That moment showed how a platform owner can personally amplify political mobilisation across borders.
Treat Platforms Like Publishers
- Christine Jardine urges treating major platforms as publishers and regulating them accordingly.
- She recommends building presence on alternative networks to reduce reliance on toxic platforms.
Captured Network Magnifies Existing Flaws
- James Ball says X shows what happens when a network is captured by an extremist owner.
- He argues the core problems (attention optimization, opaque algorithms) predate Musk but are amplified by ownership change.
