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.
An Initiative of
DCU Anti-Bullying Centre
