Readers React: The fake Pelosi video is yet another reason to regulate Facebook

To the editor: Buried in the article on the doctored video falsely showing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) slurring her words is a chilling comment from a Facebook spokesperson: “We don’t have a policy that stipulates that the information you post on Facebook must be true.”

Few things in the world have sown more chaos than the millions of lies on Facebook. From the bizarre “Pizzagate” conspiracy intended to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign, to Hindus in India posting fabrications about Muslims slaughtering and eating cows, Facebook has enabled users worldwide to spread hate and mob mentality.

We know the 1st Amendment does not protect shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater. It should also deny protection to the posting of that which creates online stampedes of mass hatred.

Facebook is an integral part of the lives of more than 2 billion people worldwide. It is time to regulate Facebook if Facebook is unwilling to properly regulate itself.

Doug Jones, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Your article quotes a UC Irvine researcher who says that the best way to stop these types of attacks is to make them “not visible.”

This video did not appear on my Facebook feed, and I don’t have Twitter, so I did not hear about it until it was played on the radio — by NPR.

Maybe, the news media of this country can assist in making this “sexist trash” disappear by not putting reports about it on the front page of newspapers.

Elaine Hassan, Los Angeles

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