Social platforms like Facebook may help fight government corruption, especially in countries where press freedom is curbed, say researchers who studied the impact of social media during the 2012 anti-corruption protests in India.
Sudipta Sarangi of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in the US said his cross- country analysis using data from more than 150 countries shows the more Facebook penetrates public usage, the higher the likelihood of government corruption meeting protest. In short, social media serves as peer of the press, Sarangi said.
“This study underscores the importance of freedom on the internet that is under threat in many countries of the world,” Sarangi said. Facebook helps lessen corruption in governments where press freedom is low. “By showing that social media can negatively impact corruption, we provide yet another reason in favor of the freedom on the net.”
Researchers began the study in 2012, when social media was being used to organise anti-corruption protests in India. They also followed the 2011 rise of Arab Spring.
