It’s unfortunate that abuse of social media extends to state authorities

Social media platforms and networks like Facebook and Twitter have flattened political hierarchies and social statuses. Or so it seems. The hoi polloi now think of themselves as “equal” to kings and dictators behind the anonymity of the keyboard. Folks believe in the illusory democracy of the web.

That’s why the villager can raise a deadly verbal machete against a governor over the Net. Or why the lumpen proletariat can fire endless volleys at princes. Mortal enemies threaten each other with Armageddon over Twitter. Which begs the question — who can say what, and to whom, over social media? Should the state wield social media tools against the citizen? If so, under what conditions and ethical and legal constraints?