Dimensions in the Unsubstantiated Claims of ‘Anti-Conservative Bias’ Made by Right-Wing Social Media Users

The third speaker in this Social Media & Society 2024 session is Jeeyun Sophia Baik, whose interest is in the long-standing allegations of anti-conservative bias that have been made against social media platforms. Such claims have been embraced prominently by Donald Trump and other far-right actors, in particular, and some US politicians have even attempted to ban what they understand as ‘social media censorship’.

The problem is that claims of anti-conservative bias have been proven to be unfounded by a range of studies, and that there is in fact a substantial platforming of conservative and far-right voices by social media. Nonetheless, perceptions of anti-conservative bias have only continued to increase in recent years. How are such claims shaped and appropriated, then?

The present study focussed on a 2019 Twitter thread originated by the Trump White House; it examined some 222 replies to a White House tweet, including embedded ads. Several key dimensions emerged from this: the first were ideological and legal discussions, focussing on free speech and the first amendment to the US Constitution (but also explaining how this does not apply to the actions of private companies like platform operators) as well as the balance between freedom of speech and freedom from harmful speech.

A second dimension was political, claiming that social media ‘censorship’ reflected the platforms’ political leanings as well as debunking such claims by pointing to prominent far-right voices who were still active on these platforms; there was also a strong emphasis on criticism of Trump’s own actions against freedom of the press, and other actions, as well as on support for Trump’s policies.

A third dimension included claims about supposed platform tinkering with engagement metrics, shadowbanning, a loss of followers, and strongly focussed on personal interests in maintaining engagement metrics. Finally, a fourth dimension emphasised apparently tiered and inconsistent moderation practices, as well as relating to advertising content predominantly from right-wing actors.

These patterns are likely to continue today, and to be heightened further in the context of the upcoming US presidential election.