Across prominent social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X, users express concerns regarding censorship and unchecked propaganda on these platforms since President Donald Trump took office.
Ever since the looming TikTok ban came and gone, users have given mixed reactions to the app’s return on Jan. 19. Some took issue with TikTok’s messaging that credited President Trump with bringing the app back to the states, arguing it seemed like a political stunt to gather positive impressions of the president who initially proposed a ban on the app in 2020.
Along with the lukewarm emotions of TikTok’s return, earlier in January, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that Meta will no longer be using fact-checkers to verify information on social media posts.
Meta owns FaceBook, Instagram and Threads, which means that every post will be seemingly checked by community notes to verify information rather than third-party fact-checkers.
Zuckerberg posted a video about this update by comparing this update to X’s community notes. He added that fact-checkers are, “too politically biased,” in reference to fact-checkers correcting information about the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Concerns over the censorship issues on social media have reached the student body of Wilkes University. Freshman student Carolyn Jewell makes her stance on the situation by saying since the app returned, it has not been the same.
“It’s been harder to look up political things that aren’t in favor of the President,” Jewell said.
In addition to her worries over TikTok’s censorship, she believes that Meta’s removal of fact-checking could lead to disastrous consequences for users.
“I’m concerned about these platforms leaning right-wing since most of these companies are already either a part of the cabinet or playing to them,” Jewell summarizes.
Other students have shared similar viewpoints that these multi-millionaire companies are becoming more conservative when it comes to guidelines on their apps as well as their politics to show their loyalty to President Trump.
“My concerns are that billionaires like Musk and Zuckerberg are censoring these apps,” business administrations student and Wilkes Democrats/Progressives Club President Jace Hynick said.
Hynick said he had an experience on TikTok in which he was searching for a post about banned books that have suspiciously been removed.
Astrid Overby, a pre-pharmacy student, adds that other countries have warned the United States that the incoming presidency would lead to issues such as social media censorship and media censorship as a whole.
“This is an America problem,” Overby said. “Countries such as Germany have warned us about this happening.”
No matter where you affiliate yourself on the political compass, potential media censorship can be dangerous and could lead to the suppression of news and widespread misinformation.
TikTok has been a resource for many people to get information about news around the world, specifically the war happening in Palestine and Israel and other information that might not be broadcasted in American news media.
With the switch-up TikTok has had since returning, Meta removing fact-checking and X being run by a man who was appointed by President Trump to lead the unofficial “Department of Government Efficiency,” it comes to no surprise that this right-wing shift in social media is happening.
It has been said that one must be careful of what they read on the internet because it might not be true. Before you hit share, be sure to do your research.