Speaking at a World Economic Forum panel on Green Energy, Kerry condemned the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and the press.
Former US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed concerns that the freedom of individuals to choose information sources, hinders effective governance in democracies.
Speaking at a World Economic Forum panel on Green Energy, Kerry condemned the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and the press.
“It’s really hard to govern today,” he remarked, arguing that social media's role in shaping public opinion makes building consensus in democracies increasingly challenging.
“The referees we used to have to determine what is fact and what isn’t have kind of been eviscerated,” Kerry stated, adding that individuals now decide where to get their news.
Kerry, who served as secretary of state under Barack Obama, continued, “If people go to only one source… and they’re putting out disinformation, our First Amendment stands as a major block to simply hammering it out of existence."
As long as Democrats can “win ground” and “win the right to govern,” they will be “free to implement change,” the former senator stated.
“I think democracies are very challenged right now and have not proven they can move fast enough or big enough to address the challenges we face. To me, that is part of what this race, this election, is all about,” he added.
To address these challenges, some advocate for greater regulation of social media and technology companies. This could involve developing global policies that balance free speech with the need to prevent harm and promote democratic values. Others propose increasing transparency and accountability in online platforms to mitigate the spread of misinformation.
Ultimately, finding a balance between individual freedom and collective well-being in the digital age will require ongoing debate and collaboration among policymakers, technologists, and civil society.
Amid increasingly divisive election rhetoric, research suggests that Americans trust the media even less than they are willing to publicly admit. While 24% of Americans claim to trust the media to tell the truth, only 7% believe it privately, according to a study completed in June by the think tank Populace, in cooperation with Gradient and YouGov.