Americans are more concerned about protecting free speech than they are about restricting “fake news,” according to Pew Research poll.
But they do think tech companies could work harder to ensure stories posted on their platforms tell the truth.
The fight over “fake news” has been raging since Donald Trump targeted establishment media bias and misinformation during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Pew Research said the “widespread concerns over misinformation online have created a tension in the United States between taking steps to restrict that information – including possible government regulation – and protecting the long-held belief in the freedom to access and publish information.”
The new survey found a majority of Americans oppose U.S. government action that might also limit First Amendment freedoms.
But they are more open to action from tech companies.
The report said that when people were asked to choose between the U.S. government restricting “false news online” in ways that could also limit Americans’ information freedoms,
