It’s time to open the black box of social media

"Despite the fact that social media has become one of our most important public forums for speech, several of the most important platforms are controlled by a small number of people," said Laura Edelson, co-founder of NYU Cybersecurity for Democracy and co-author of this article. 

The team created a list of questions that could be answered if social media companies increased transparency on how their services function and how users interact with their systems. "We believe such research would help platforms develop better, safer systems, and also inform lawmakers and regulators who seek to hold platforms accountable for the promises they make to the public," added Edelson.