On Social Media, U.S. Congress and Universal Music Group

Last week, comments from Pew Research’s “Americans’ Social Media Use” report included:

  • “Social media platforms faced a range of controversies in recent years, including concerns over misinformation and data privacy. Even so, U.S. adults use a wide range of sites and apps, especially YouTubeand Facebook. And TikTok – which some Congress members previously called to ban – saw growth in its user base.

  • "YouTube by and large is the most widely used online platform measured in our survey. Roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults (83%) report ever using the video-based platform.

  • "Facebook is also a dominant player in the online landscape. Most Americans (68%) report using the social media platform.

  • "TikTok – stands out for growth of its user base. A third of U.S. adults (33%) say they use the video-based platform, up 12 percentage points from 2021 (21%).

  • "Adults under 30 are far more likely than their older counterparts to use many of the online platforms … YouTube and Facebook are the only two platforms that majorities of all age groups use."

Note: The study surveyed 5,733 U.S. adults from May 19 to Sept. 5, 2023.
 

OUR TAKE

  • The U.S. Congress (as it did last week) will continue to consider repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. This action would likely increase litigation against social media players.

  • A recent dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (that represents Taylor Swift and others) will likely clarify issues related to 1) AI generated content, 2) artist rights, and 3) royalties and other fees.

  • Internet services, including social media platforms, will continue to transform commerce, communications and other activities - and policy makers and litigators will become more engaged in the process.

Paul Dravis