Censorship Is Not a Panacea: Access To Information in a Resilient Society

Information resiliency is a difficult idea to conceptualize, though it seems to include resistance to mis- and dis-information, algorithmic injustices, and filter bubbles. A possible solution to these information challenges and the current “infodemic” is to restrict access to and circulation of certain information. Social media platforms, in particular, have an extraordinarily wide reach in contemporary society. While compelling these platforms to restrict information may be appealing, at first glance, there are inherent problems of power and control bound up in the suggestion of censorship (or, as it is sometimes framed, content moderation). Rules about permitted speech can be wielded in ways that increase harm to already marginalized populations. In this panel, we discuss these ideas and debate the merits of restricting access to information via social media content moderation. We anticipate a robust discussion with attendees.