New Perspectives on (Anti)Social Media

What do we make of the recent spate of criticism of the major social media monopolies like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and the like? Or, to put the matter differently, what is their overall social impact on our information society? Are these platforms legitimately improving the social mobility and inclusiveness of society, or are such claims proffered as thin veneers to conceal abusive monopolies that masquerade as servants of the public interest? These are important questions that are insufficiently addressed by the public and politicians, and they are only slightly better addressed by mainstream media. The reasons for this are manifold: the enormous lobbying power of social media companies, interconnected interests of these companies and commercial media, technical barriers to journalists' understanding of the underlying platforms, unwillingness on the part of politicians to openly challenge the business models of powerful tech companies, and, most importantly, the lack of sufficient political support for protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens.