Gillespie explores the hidden governance systems embedded in platform content moderation, arguing that these decisions are far from neutral or purely technical. Through case studies and insider accounts from companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, the book shows how moderation practices are influenced by legal liability concerns, advertising business models, cultural assumptions, and balance between engagement and safety. It decodes how platforms interpret vague terms like “hate speech” and “violence,” and how policy changes ripple outward to affect global conversations. Ultimately, the book positions platforms as custodians of the public sphere, whose rule‑making and enforcement choices increasingly shape the boundaries of acceptable speech, community norms, and digital citizenship.
From Yale University Press