Twitter Invites Zealous Bureaucrats to Regulate its Service

By including Democrat candidates for California elected offices as recommended users and omitting Republicans until only recently, Twitter has drawn the attention of those in government interested in opening the door to state or federal regulation of online campaign activity, including social networking sites.

Twitter’s announcement that it intends to do away with its suggested user list is a good idea, at least as it applies to candidates.  Through a system where corporate executives chose which individuals, including candidates, were recommended, the company put itself in the position of appearing to provide something of value to some candidates over others.  It should be no surprise that zealous bureaucrats might seize the opportunity to use this as an excuse to regulate the company’s product.

The notion that some government bureaucracy is going to be able to keep up with, let alone regulate, campaign activities online defies reality.

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