Social media has become essential for freedom of expression in modern societies. Facebook has 3 billion monthly users and is the world’s most popular social media platform, followed by YouTube and Instagram in second and third place, respectively. TikTok, in fourth place, is the fastest-growing platform.
The report was published in November 2024, and is available in Norwegian:
Sosiale medier, ytringsfrihet og nasjonal sikkerhet
These platforms have enabled everyone to share their messages and reach a global audience, to communicate easily, and to access information and entertainment. However, social media can also be exploited for political influence by foreign powers, and the data collected can be used for intelligence purposes.
In this report, the Norwegian Board of Technology and the Norwegian Human Rights Institution (NIM) have joined forces to assess how social media can affect both security and freedom of expression in Norway.
We have used the potential TikTok ban in the United States as a point of departure and examine how European and Norwegian issues differ from the U.S. case. We have also mapped out the tools available to us. Measures to counteract such effects may have negative consequences. Should the state limit our freedom of expression for our own protection?
Government action against social media can also be used to suppress legitimate popular uprisings against unpopular decisions, and democracy can be undermined under the pretense of protecting it. The field is filled with dilemmas.
The project is led by Joakim Valevatn and Hanne Sofie Lindahl from the Norwegian Board of Technology, and Cecilie Hellestveit, Vidar Strømme, and Vetle Seierstad from NIM.
