No Evidence of Anti-Conservative Bias by Social Media, New Study Asserts

Variety ^ | February 1, 2021 | Todd Spangler

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Internet platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are not systematically biased against conservatives or right-wing viewpoints in their content moderation practices, according to an analysis from NYU researchers.

According to the report released Monday, “False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives,” the allegation that social media companies engage in anti-conservative bias “is itself a form of disinformation: a falsehood with no reliable evidence to support it.”

“No trustworthy large-scale studies have determined that conservative content is being removed for ideological reasons,” the NYU report says. “Even anecdotal evidence of supposed bias tends to crumble under close examination.”

In fact, the report, produced by the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, cited evidence that social media platforms have actually amplified right-leaning voices algorithmically to reach “unprecedented audiences,” often giving conservatives greater reach than liberal or nonpartisan content creators. The report analyzed data from multiple sources, including past reports like a 2020 study from Politico and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and social-data analytics firms CrowdTangle and NewsWhip.

Former President Donald Trump and a legion of U.S. conservatives have complained loudly that Big Tech somehow treats right-leaning users and content differently than others on the political spectrum.

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It was a meme before memes were a “thing.”