Are Zuckerberg and Musk the largest dictators?

Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have been labelled "the largest dictators" by Filipino and American journalist Maria Ressa.

Maria Ressa who was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her defence of media freedom spoke at the  the Hay literary festival in Wales. She said Zuckerberg and Musk have “proven that we all, regardless of culture, language, or geography, have far more in common than we have differences because we’re all being manipulated the same way”.

She attributes their status to their ability to manipulate global audiences through their social media platforms which she claims change the way we feel, perceive the world and act. Ressa suggests that these platforms incite fear, anger, and hatred, causing personal and societal changes.

She also accused them of promoting contentious online debates that cause worldwide polarisation.

Additionally, she stated that deceptive information, often generated by poor-quality AI, is becoming prevalent on the internet.

As a countermeasure, Ressa suggests abolishing section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which gives internet companies protection against user-generated content lawsuits.

Furthermore, she advises parents to keep their children away from social media until attaining a suitable age. Ressa encourages people to reconnect with the real world and organise with kin and friends to combat information propagandas.

- CyberBeat