Social Media Companies' Cyberbullying Policies

Abstract

This article examines social media companies’ responsibility in addressing cyberbullying among children. Through an analysis of companies’ bullying policies and mechanisms that they develop to address bullying, I examine the available evidence of the effectiveness of the current self-regulatory system. Relying on the privatization-of-the-digital-public-sphere framework, this article signals concerns regarding transparency and accountability and explains the process through which these policies develop and can influence the perceptions of regulators about what constitutes a safe platform. The article is based on a qualitative analysis of 14 social media companies’ policies and interviews with social media company representatives, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and e-safety experts from the United States and the European Union.