Partisan Attitudes

Context

Pew Research Center has tracked partisan attitudes toward social media and technology companies since 2018. Majorities in both parties have consistently viewed social media's impact on the country negatively, though the gap between the parties has shifted over time. In 2020, 78% of Republicans said social media had a mostly negative effect on the country, compared with 53% of Democrats. By 2024, Republican negativity had declined to 71% while Democratic negativity rose to 59%, narrowing the partisan gap from 25 points to 12.

Views on tech company power show a different pattern. Both parties have grown more likely to say social media companies wield too much political power and influence, with Republicans rising from 82% in 2020 to 84% in 2024 and Democrats from 63% to 74%. Support for government regulation of major technology companies has fluctuated: Democrats shifted from 57% in 2018 to 46% in 2020 before climbing to 60% in 2024, while Republican support held relatively steady between 44% and 48% over the same period.

Attitudes toward content moderation reveal one of the sharpest partisan divides. In 2025, 73% of Democrats said technology companies should restrict false information online, compared with 47% of Republicans. Democratic support for these restrictions declined from 81% in 2023 to 73% in 2025, while Republican support remained unchanged at 47%. These patterns reflect distinct partisan frameworks for evaluating the role of social media in public life.