Regulating Online Speech in a Digital World

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

This educational video explores the complex relationship between free speech, democratic values, and content moderation in the digital age. It begins by distinguishing between government-protected civil liberties and the rights of private social media platforms to moderate content, introducing key legal frameworks like Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The narrator explains how social media companies have essentially created their own "platform law" to police content, acting as arbitrators of truth without the checks and balances of traditional government institutions. The video details the mechanisms of content moderation, including user flagging and artificial intelligence, while highlighting the limitations of AI in detecting nuance like sarcasm. It then categorizes potential solutions to the disinformation crisis into four approaches: Public-to-Private (like Germany's NetzDG law), Government interventions (such as internal referral units or content filters), Market-based solutions (adjusting algorithms for social value), and Consumer-focused strategies (teaching digital literacy and signaling authority). This resource is highly valuable for Civics, Government, and Media Literacy classrooms. It moves beyond simple definitions to analyze the structural challenges of regulating online speech. Teachers can use this video to spark high-level debates about censorship, corporate responsibility, and the trade-offs between safety and freedom. It provides concrete examples of global policies, making it an excellent tool for comparative government studies and discussions on digital citizenship.