Surveillance capitalism as a new way of functioning of the market economy has in the last decade began to predominantly use social media to achieve its goals. Foremost, social media and its platforms have become people's first choice when it comes to communication, information consumption and shopping. With this, surveillance capitalists managed to control the flow of information and data that users leave on social media while using their platforms. In this way, surveillance capitalists have the power to personalise the data a user sees on social media and control what an individual thinks and does. Therefore, the question arises as to whether such an approach poses a risk to human rights and democracy. This dissertation will analyse - "What are the potential risks of using social media for human rights and democracy?" ". In order to answer the given question, the dissertation, apart from the introductory and concluding chapters, is divided into four main chapters that analyse the set issue. As potential risks, the dissertation identifies the risk of violating an individual's privacy when using social media and the risks of violating autonomy and freedom of expression. Also, when it comes to political participation, some of the risks that the dissertation observes are the risks of individuals encountering echo chambers, cascades and polarisation. Likewise, the dissertation uses a case study of the 2016 US presidential election to analyse the risks that have emerged in the use of social media as a strategy for the presidential campaign. In conclusion, the dissertation suggests that as a recommendation for further monitoring and eliminating risks during the use of social media, one should focus on increasing the transparency and responsibility of companies and other actors who use social media. This would prevent the violation of fundamental human rights of the individual as well as the democratic system.