Vast Majority of Israelis Favor Social Media Regulation

A new survey reveals overwhelming public support in Israel for government regulation of social media platforms, with 81.6% believing the state should legislate their activities. Only 9.2% trust social media companies to self-regulate effectively. A significant majority, 86.4%, also support holding platforms accountable for the content they promote, and 86.2% favor requiring verification that each account belongs to a real person.

The survey, conducted for the Brandeis Institute for Society, Economy, and Democracy, found that concerns about privacy are widespread, with only 12.8% trusting platforms to protect user privacy without government oversight. When asked about the most urgent area for regulation, nearly half of respondents (47.8%) prioritized child protection, followed by fraud and impersonation (27.2%).

While there is broad consensus on the need for regulation, the willingness to personally verify identity presents a potential hurdle. Although 86.2% support mandatory identity verification for accounts, only 49.2% would be willing to verify their own identity using an ID card. This suggests a desire for stricter controls but not necessarily at the cost of personal privacy or convenience.

Personal experience with harm on social media appears to increase support for regulation and identity verification. Among those who reported themselves or close family members experiencing fraud or harm online, 87.1% supported legislation, and 62.4% were willing to verify their identity, compared to lower figures among those without such experiences.

The desire for social media regulation transcends political and religious divides, with no significant differences found between right, center, and left political leanings, or between secular, traditional, religious, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish respondents. The survey included 500 participants aged 18 and over, with a maximum margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.