The PublicStrike Manifesto

Dror Harari, May 21 2019

This manifesto proposes a workable solution to the systemic power imbalance between social media platforms, content creators and us ("we the people").

Problem Statement

Power dynamics on social media platforms suffer systemic biases that hurt the public:

• Social media platforms (SMPs) wield too much power
• Content creators, however successful, have too little power
• Users ("we the people") have virtually no power
• Personal and political biases of SMP employees get magnified out of proportions
• There is no mechanism to help or push SMPs to maintain a balanced approach
• Unlike regular mainstream media (MSM), SMPs enjoy platform protection against litigation (CDA/DMCA)
• Result is censorship, small publishers being hurt, MSM gains more money and influence

Goal

Level the playing field giving us users a way to leverage our power as groups rather than as individuals:

• Introduce a market correction mechanism into SMPs
• Avoid government policing or judging social media content
• Make SMPs really want to be part of the solution
• Give power back to the people

Solution

PublicStrike is a system SMPs must implement in order to maintain their platform protections under CDA/DMCA:

• PublicStrike is an action that a user on a social media platform can take against a specific high-level SMP service (e.g., Facebook, YouTube).
• PublicStrike is made with a time limit (for example, a week or 30 days).
• PublicStrike is made with a short text reason, likely with a hash tag.
• When under a PublicStrike by a user, the SMP cannot monetize the user directly or indirectly on their platform.
• The SMP is prohibited form punishing a user for issuing a PublicStrike.
• The SMP can restrict or deny the user access to the specific high-level service while the strike is active.
• The user can cancel the PublicStrike at any point and regain full use of the service.
• When actively on a PublicStrike, the user's profile will show the strike and its reason.
• PublicStrike can be based on another user's existing PublicStrike, in which case it will auto-cancel based on that other strike.

How Will this work?

Here's an example: A creator with one million followers that has been demonetized could get substantial number of followers to PublicStrike the SMP for a week in order for them cancel the demonetization. That can result in half a million users that the SMP cannot monetize at all for a week -- a noticable financial impact.

Why Will this work?

The following aspects of PublicStrike will level the playing field between SMPs, content creators and the users:

• PublicStrike allows people to aggregate their power against the SMPs
• SMPs will need to consider the potentially large cost of PublicStrike
• PublicStrike is easy and safe - no one loses their history, their network or content

What Will It Take to Implement PublicStrike

In order to implement PublicStrike the following should happen:

• This manifest and the concepts it introduces needs to be spread to wide audience.
• Political pressure needs to be mounted to amend CDA/DMCA to add PublicStrike provisions.
• SMPs need to decide they want to maintain platform protection and implement the system on their platform.

Is PublicStrike Political?

PublicStrike is political but it is not partisan. It strengthens free speech which some people may not like but is a core value in the US.

What can Go Wrong

Every system can be abused and PublicStrike is no different. Here are some examples:

• People can be manipulated to mob on an SMP for a bad reason
• SMPs may be afraid to ban or punish really bad behavior
• SMPs may get caught between two large fighting factions
• SMPs may try to retaliate
• It might be tricky to implement this outside of the US

What's Not Addressed

Almost all other problems with SMP are not address. There are too many to count but two prominent ones are:

• Dark manipulations (invisible influence techniques)
• Shadow banning

Glossary

Definition of some terms just so we'll be on the same page:

• SMP - Social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter.
• MSM - Mainstream media platforms such as TV/cable news channels, written newspapers (offline & online)
• CDA/DMCA - Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA, codified 47 U.S.C. § 230) and the Safe Harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, codified 17 U.S.C. § 512) provide certain protections for operators of online services from some, but not all, third-party claims arising out of user content posted on those services

Credits

I came up with the PublicStrike concept while listening to Scott Adams' Periscope video Episode 534 (49:44) where he talked about SMPs problems, "being able to create competition where non exists" and "how can we as customers put market pressure on the platforms to stay within the bounds of good censorship and not bad censorship" (54:35)

/d