{"id":93047,"date":"2020-08-19T11:57:11","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T16:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:18:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:18:23","slug":"most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Americans Think Social Media Sites Censor Political Viewpoints"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: Some of the findings reported here have been updated. For the latest data on social media censorship, <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/05\/13\/support-for-more-regulation-of-tech-companies-has-declined-in-u-s-especially-among-republicans\/\">read our 2022 blog post<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible--to-convert\"><\/div>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"how-we-did-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How we did this<\/h4>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center has been studying the role of technology and technology companies in Americans\u2019 lives for many years. This study was conducted to understand Americans\u2019 views about the role of major technology companies in the political landscape. For this analysis, we surveyed 4,708 U.S. adults from June 16 to 22, 2020. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/u-s-survey-research\/american-trends-panel\/\">ATP\u2019s methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_TOPLINE.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">questions used<\/a> for this report, along with responses, and its <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/social-media-politics-methodology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans have complicated feelings about their relationship with big technology companies. While they have appreciated the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2017\/10\/12\/four-in-ten-americans-credit-technology-with-improving-life-most-in-the-past-50-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">impact of technology<\/a> over recent decades and rely on these companies\u2019 products to communicate, <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2016\/12\/19\/online-shopping-and-e-commerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shop<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2018\/12\/10\/social-media-outpaces-print-newspapers-in-the-u-s-as-a-news-source\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get news<\/a>, many have also <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/07\/29\/americans-have-become-much-less-positive-about-tech-companies-impact-on-the-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">grown critical<\/a> of the industry and have expressed concerns <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2019\/09\/19\/where-public-confidence-stands-about-eight-groups-that-have-positions-of-power-and-responsibility\/#leaders-of-technology-companies-u-s-adults-confident-tech-leaders-create-good-products-but-doubtful-that-they-care-for-others%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">about the executives<\/a> who run them.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26458\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dae1e8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dae1e8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"1058\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" class=\"wp-image-115106 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png\" alt=\"Chart shows 90% of Republicans say it is likely that social media sites censor political viewpoints \u2013 a slight uptick since 2018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png 620w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=176,300 176w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=600,1024 600w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=237,405 237w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=200,341 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=260,444 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=310,529 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=420,717 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=160,273 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-1.png?resize=320,546 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This has become a particularly pointed issue in politics \u2013 with critics accusing tech firms of <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/509619-jordan-confronts-tech-ceos-with-claims-of-anti-conservative-bias\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">political bias<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/business\/2020\/06\/30\/facebook-political-ads-trump-free-speech-debate-censorship-orig.cnn-business\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stifling open discussion<\/a>. Amid these concerns, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in June finds that roughly three-quarters of U.S. adults say it is very (37%) or somewhat (36%) likely that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable. Just 25% believe this is not likely the case.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Majorities in both major parties believe censorship is likely occurring, but this belief is especially common \u2013 and growing \u2013 among Republicans. Nine-in-ten Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party say it\u2019s at least somewhat likely that social media platforms censor political viewpoints they find objectionable, up slightly from 85% in <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2018\/06\/28\/public-attitudes-toward-technology-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2018, when the Center<\/a> last asked this question.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, the idea that major technology companies back liberal views over conservative ones is far more widespread among Republicans. Today, 69% of Republicans and Republican leaners say major technology companies generally support the views of liberals over conservatives, compared with 25% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Again, these sentiments among Republicans have risen slightly over the past two years.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26459\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e3e7e4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e3e7e4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"1108\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" class=\"wp-image-115115 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png\" alt=\"Chart shows wide partisan differences in views about social media companies labeling posts from elected officials as misleading or inaccurate\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=227,300 227w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=768,1013 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=776,1024 776w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=307,405 307w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=200,264 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=260,343 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=310,409 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=420,554 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=640,844 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=740,976 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=160,211 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-2.png?resize=320,422 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Debates about censorship grew earlier this summer following Twitter\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2020\/05\/29\/inside-twitter-trump-label\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">decision to label tweets<\/a> from President Donald Trump as misleading. This prompted some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/05\/27\/technology\/trump-twitter.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">president\u2019s supporters<\/a> to charge that these platforms are censoring conservative voices.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This survey finds that the public is fairly split on whether social media companies should engage in this kind of fact-checking, but there is little public confidence that these platforms could determine which content should be flagged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Partisanship is a key factor in views about the issue. Fully 73% of Democrats say they strongly or somewhat <em>approve<\/em> of social media companies labeling posts on their platforms from elected officials as inaccurate or misleading. On the other hand, 71% of Republicans say they at least somewhat <em>disapprove<\/em> of this practice. Republicans are also far more likely than Democrats to say they have no confidence at all that social media companies would be able to determine which posts on their platforms should be labeled as inaccurate or misleading (50% vs. 11%).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are among the key findings of a Pew Research Center survey of 4,708 U.S. adults conducted June 16-22, 2020, using the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/methods\/u-s-survey-research\/american-trends-panel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Center\u2019s American Trends Panel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;views-about-whether-social-media-companies-should-label-posts-on-their-platforms-as-inaccurate-are-sharply-divided-along-political-lines&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"views-about-whether-social-media-companies-should-label-posts-on-their-platforms-as-inaccurate-are-sharply-divided-along-political-lines\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Views about whether social media companies should label posts on their platforms as inaccurate are sharply divided along political lines<\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26460\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dfe3e2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dfe3e2;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"1106\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" class=\"wp-image-115122 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png\" alt=\"Chart shows Democrats more likely than Republicans to approve of social media companies labeling posts from elected officials or ordinary users as inaccurate, misleading\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=228,300 228w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=768,1011 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=778,1024 778w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=308,405 308w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=200,263 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=260,342 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=310,408 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=420,553 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=640,843 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=740,974 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=160,211 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-3.png?resize=320,421 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans are divided over whether social media companies should label posts on their sites as inaccurate or misleading, with most being skeptical that these sites can accurately determine what content should be flagged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some 51% of Americans say they strongly or somewhat approve of social media companies labeling posts from elected officials on their platforms as inaccurate or misleading, while a similar share (46%) say they at least somewhat disapprove of this.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats and Republicans hold contrasting views about the appropriateness of social media companies flagging inaccurate information on their platforms. Fully 73% of Democrats say they strongly or somewhat approve of social media companies labeling posts on their platforms from elected officials as inaccurate or misleading, versus 25% who disapprove.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These sentiments are nearly reversed for Republicans: 71% say they disapprove of social media companies engaging in this type of labeling, including about four-in-ten (39%) who say they strongly disapprove. Just 27% say they approve of this labeling.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liberal Democrats stand out as being the most supportive of this practice: 85% of this group say they approve of social media companies labeling elected officials\u2019 posts as inaccurate or misleading, compared with 64% of conservative or moderate Democrats and even smaller shares of moderate or liberal Republicans and conservative Republicans (38% and 21%, respectively).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to measuring public attitudes about flagging potentially misleading content from elected officials, the survey explored Americans\u2019 views about whether this practice would be acceptable to apply to posts from ordinary users.[1. Respondents were randomly assigned questions about whether social media companies should label posts from elected officials or ordinary users.] Some 52% of Americans say they strongly or somewhat approve of social media companies labeling posts from ordinary users on their platforms as inaccurate or misleading, while 45% disapprove.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again, views vary widely by party. While seven-in-ten Democrats approve of these sites labeling posts from ordinary users as inaccurate or misleading, that share falls to 34% among Republicans. Americans\u2019 support \u2013 or lack thereof \u2013 for flagging content on social media is similar whether applied to posts by politicians or everyday users.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the public as a whole does not trust that these companies will be able to decide on which posts should be labeled as misleading. Overall, a majority of Americans (66%) say they have not too much or no confidence at all in social media companies being able to determine which posts on their platforms should be labeled as inaccurate or misleading, with 31% saying they have a great deal or some confidence.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-4\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26461\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e5e8e4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e5e8e4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"998\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" class=\"wp-image-115127 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png\" alt=\"Chart shows a majority of conservative Republicans have no confidence in social media companies to determine which posts should be labeled as inaccurate\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=253,300 253w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=768,912 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=341,405 341w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=200,238 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=260,309 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=310,368 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=420,499 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=640,760 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=740,879 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=160,190 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-4.png?resize=320,380 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to express skepticism that social media companies could properly determine which posts should be labeled in this way. More than eight-in-ten Republicans say they have no (50%) or not much (34%) confidence regarding social media companies\u2019 ability to determine which posts on their platforms should be labeled.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats are more evenly split in their views: Some 52% of Democrats say they have no confidence at all or not too much confidence in social media companies to determine which posts on their platforms should be labeled as inaccurate or misleading, while 46% say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond that, there are notable differences along partisan and ideological lines. Six-in-ten conservative Republicans say they have no confidence in social media companies\u2019 ability to determine which posts on their platforms should be labeled as misleading, compared with 34% of moderate or liberal Republicans and 11% each of conservative or moderate Democrats and liberal Democrats.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans who approve of social media companies labeling posts express more confidence that these sites could properly flag inaccurate content. Indeed, 54% of those who approve of labeling elected officials\u2019 posts as misleading say they have at least a fair deal of confidence in social media companies to determine which posts to label, while only 9% of those who disapprove of labeling elected officials\u2019 posts say the same. A similar pattern is present when asked about this type of labeling for ordinary users.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The confidence gap between Republicans and Democrats remains present even among those who approve of this type of flagging. Some 56% of Democrats who approve of social media platforms labeling elected officials\u2019 posts as inaccurate say they have at least a fair amount of confidence in these companies to determine which posts to label, compared with 42% of Republicans who approve of labeling elected officials\u2019 posts as misleading or inaccurate. This partisan gap is even larger among those who approve of labeling ordinary users\u2019 posts. Roughly six-in-ten Democrats (58%) who approve of labeling ordinary users\u2019 posts express a great deal or a fair amount of confidence in social media companies to determine which posts to label, while 30% of their Republican counterparts say that.<\/p>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;majorities-across-parties-but-particularly-republicans-say-it-is-at-least-somewhat-likely-social-media-sites-censor-political-views-they-find-objectionable&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"majorities-across-parties-but-particularly-republicans-say-it-is-at-least-somewhat-likely-social-media-sites-censor-political-views-they-find-objectionable\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Majorities across parties \u2013 but particularly Republicans \u2013 say it is at least somewhat likely social media sites censor political views they find objectionable<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Americans by and large believe social media companies are censoring political viewpoints they find objectionable. Roughly three-quarters of Americans (73%) think it is very or somewhat likely that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints they find objectionable, including 37% who say this is very likely.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-5\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26462\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e8e1e0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e8e1e0;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"870\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" class=\"wp-image-115134 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png\" alt=\"Chart shows majorities across parties say social media sites likely censor political views, but conservative Republicans stand out for thinking this is very likely\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=300,204 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=768,522 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=1024,696 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=596,405 596w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=200,136 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=260,177 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=310,211 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=420,285 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=640,435 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=740,503 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=160,109 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-5.png?resize=320,218 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Larger shares in both parties think it\u2019s likely that these sites engage in political censorship, but this belief is especially widespread among Republicans. Fully 90% of Republicans say that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable \u2013 with 60% saying this is very likely the case. By comparison, fewer Democrats believe this to be very (19%) or somewhat (40%) likely.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans \u2013 but not Democrats \u2013 are divided along ideological lines on the issue. Conservative Republicans are far more likely than moderate or liberal Republicans to say it is very likely that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints they find objectionable (70% vs. 44%). Similar shares of moderate or conservative Democrats (20%) and liberal Democrats (18%) express this view.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While these overall views about censorship are on par with those <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2018\/06\/28\/public-attitudes-toward-technology-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in 2018<\/a>, there has been a slight uptick in the share of Republicans who think censorship is likely the norm on social media. Today, 90% of Republicans believe it is very or somewhat likely that social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints \u2013 a modest yet statistically significant increase from 2018, when 85% expressed this view. The share of conservative Republicans who say this is very likely the case rose 7 points, from 63% in 2018 to 70% in 2020. Views among moderate and liberal Republicans, as well as Democrats across the ideological spectrum, have not significantly changed since 2018.<\/p>\n\n<h3 data-is-section=\"true\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;roughly-seven-in-ten-republicans-say-major-technology-companies-tend-to-support-the-views-of-liberals-over-conservatives&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/table-of-contents&quot;}\" id=\"roughly-seven-in-ten-republicans-say-major-technology-companies-tend-to-support-the-views-of-liberals-over-conservatives\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Roughly seven-in-ten Republicans say major technology companies tend to support the views of liberals over conservatives<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While most Republicans and Democrats believe it\u2019s likely that social media sites engage in censoring political viewpoints, they do diverge on which views they think major technology companies tend to favor.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/08\/19\/most-americans-think-social-media-sites-censor-political-viewpoints\/pi_2020-08-19_social-media-politics_00-6\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-26463\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f2f2f1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f2f2f1;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"954\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" class=\"wp-image-115140 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png\" alt=\"Chart shows slight increase in share of Republicans who believe major tech companies support the views of liberals over conservatives since 2018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=264,300 264w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=768,872 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=357,405 357w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=200,227 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=260,295 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=310,352 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=420,477 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=640,727 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=740,840 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=160,182 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/08\/PI_2020.08.19_social-media-politics_00-6.png?resize=320,363 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a broad level, a plurality of Americans say major technology companies tend to support the views of liberals over conservatives, rather than conservatives over liberals (43% vs. 13%). Still, about four-in-ten (39%) say major tech companies tend to support the views of conservatives and liberals equally. The share who say major technology companies equally support the views of conservatives and liberals has slightly decreased since 2018, while the other two sentiments are statistically unchanged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public attitudes on this issue are highly partisan. Today, 69% of Republicans say major technology companies favor the views of liberals over conservatives, while 22% say these companies support the views of liberals and conservatives equally. Few Republicans (5%) believe that conservative sentiments are valued more than liberal ones by these companies.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By comparison, one-quarter of Democrats say major technology companies support liberal views over conservative ones, while 19% say conservative sentiments are the ones that are more valued. About half of Democrats (52%) believe tech companies treat these views equally.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are also large differences when accounting for political ideology. For example, 81% of conservative Republicans say big technology companies favor liberal views, compared with half of moderate or liberal Republicans and even smaller shares of conservative or moderate Democrats (24%) and liberal Democrats (26%).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about the preference of conservative views, 23% of liberal Democrats \u2013 a slightly larger share than the 16% in 2018 \u2013 say that major technology companies favor these views over liberal ones, compared with 10% or fewer of moderate to liberal and conservative Republicans.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say major tech companies favor the views of liberals over conservatives. At the same time, partisans differ on whether social media companies should flag inaccurate information on their platforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":581,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say major tech companies favor the views of liberals over conservatives. 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