The Pew Research Center has released a new report on the future of free speech, trolls, anonymity, and fake news online. "Many experts fear uncivil and manipulative behaviors on the internet will persist — and may get worse," the report states. "This will lead to a splintering of social media into AI-patrolled and regulated 'safe spaces' separated from free-for-all zones. Some worry this will hurt the open exchange of ideas and compromise privacy." The research also revealed that those surveyed believe anonymity has contributed to much of the "uncivil discourse" online, but such anonymity will likely get purged in the future, "setting the stage for governments and dominant institutions to even more freely employ surveillance tools to monitor citizens, suppress free speech and shape social debate."
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