Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age

by Brad Smith

While the concerns were understandable, I was increasingly exasperated by the discussion. Everyone was pointing a finger at Facebook, but no one was pointing a finger at the prime culprit. It was like yelling at the person who forgot to lock the door without talking about the thief who broke in. The bigger question for Facebook, the United States, the world’s democratic republics, and the entire tech sector was what to do. The reaction of some in government was to cast blame on Facebook and other social media companies, insisting that they solve the problem. While the companies who invented this technology indeed held much of the responsibility, such an approach seemed incomplete. The answer would require a mix of action by governments and by the tech sector itself.