Censoring political opposition online: who does it and why
File(s)Ashokkumar et al. censoring.pdf (1.01 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
As ordinary citizens increasingly moderate online forums, blogs, and their own social media feeds, a new type of censoring has emerged wherein people selectively remove opposing political viewpoints from online contexts. In three studies of behavior on putative online forums, supporters of a political cause (e.g., abortion or gun rights) preferentially censored comments that opposed their cause. The tendency to selectively censor cause-incongruent online content was amplified among people whose cause-related beliefs were deeply rooted in or “fused with” their identities. Moreover, six additional identity-related measures also amplified the selective censoring effect. Finally, selective censoring emerged even when opposing comments were inoffensive and courteous. We suggest that because online censorship enacted by moderators can skew online content consumed by millions of users, it can systematically disrupt democratic dialogue and subvert social harmony.
Date Issued
2020-11
Date Acceptance
2020-07-16
Citation
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2020, 91, pp.1-15
ISSN
0022-1031
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
1
End Page
15
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Volume
91
Copyright Statement
Copyright © Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103120303711
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
104031
Date Publish Online
2020-08-09