Problem:
The news about President Trump calling Jeff Bezos shows that real power isn't just in Amazon's servers, it's also in who can place a quick phone call. If the president can sway Bezos on a pricing change, imagine the quiet pressure that could land on the bosses of TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. For people like Esma, or any of us who post about tough topics, that's scary. The same hidden feeds that already push some posts down could be tweaked even more after a polite chat we'll never hear about.
I don't picture the White House saying "delete this video" outright. The risk is softer: hinting at new taxes or antitrust cases unless a platform "cooperates," or offering a friendly photo-op if it tones down certain hashtags. It's pressure you can't prove, but it shapes what millions of users see.
What should be done? First, real transparency: public logs that show when high-level government requests come in and how the platform answers. Second, outside audits of the algorithm, no more "trust us" reports written by the companies themselves. Third, clear rules that bar elected officials from leaning on platforms about single posts or accounts, the way campaign-finance laws block secret donations. Sunlight won't fix everything, but it makes back-room deals a lot harder. Respond to this discussion post. Need Assignment Help?