This article seeks to identify the basic contours of how the notion of the public interest is taking shape in the realm of social media. Drawing upon social media governance discourse and research on the dynamics of how social media platforms are being used in the dissemination and consumption of news and information, this article argues that a restrictive and individualistic model of the public interest characterizes the social media space. This article then considers the broader implications of this emergent model of the public interest in social media governance.