UK ACT THREATENS 10% FINES OF GLOBAL TURNOVER IF HATEFUL TROLLING ISNT BLOCKED
GUARDIAN: In the UK, the government is introducing the online safety bill, which imposes a duty of care on tech companies to protect users from harmful content. Some of the content it covers is already banned by the likes of Twitter, specifically posts containing things that are criminal in the offline world, such as terrorist or child sexual abuse content. But it will also require major platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and TikTok to deal with “legal but harmful” content – in other words posts that fall below the threshold of criminality but can still cause psychological or physical harm. This has alarmed free speech advocates (York calls it “dystopian”) but Musk will have to abide by it – the British communications regulator, Ofcom, could fine companies up to 10% or their turnover for transgressions of the law.
“Services that operate in the UK are subject to UK regulations. Online platforms are no different to services in other sectors. Once enacted, Twitter will need to satisfy Ofcom that they are complying with the duties to protect users,” says Maeve Walsh, a policy consultant who helped shape the regulatory framework behind the bill.
At the same time, the EU is implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires the major social media platforms to do more to tackle illegal content. This includes forcing them to allow users to flag such content in an “easy and effective way” so that it can be swiftly removed. “Twitter, even owned by Mr Musk, needs to moderate content to comply with EU rules. If he wants to do business in EU, that’s a fact,” says Christel Schaldemose, a Danish MEP and the chief negotiator on the DSA.
A sign of far the tables have turned - the Daily Mail has overtaken The S*n as the most influential, powerful UK newspaper ... but is reported to have bowed to pressure from a Facebook executive to kill 2 stories (which they did) about her boyfriend's alleged abusive behaviour. Guardian, based on a WSJ report.
April saw more pressure with the DIGITAL SERVICES ACT agreed by the EU (Guardian), creating new legal powers to fine digital giants 6% of their GLOBAL turnover for violating the new rules (focused on removing illegal content, something they've been poor at doing):
'Banning advertising aimed at children or based on sensitive data such as religion, gender, race and political opinions.
• Allowing EU governments to request removal of illegal content, including material that promotes terrorism, child sexual abuse, hate speech and commercial scams.
• Forcing social media platforms to allow users to flag illegal content in an “easy and effective way” so that it can be swiftly removed.
• Online marketplaces like Amazon will need similar systems for suspect products, such as counterfeit sneakers or unsafe toys.
The DSA has been drawn up against a backdrop of political and regulatory action against online platforms around the world. The UK is introducing the online safety bill, which imposes a duty of care on tech firms to shelter users from harmful content, while in the US, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission has filed antitrust actions against Google and Facebook.'
'Other measures in the DSA will require large online platforms and online search engines to take specific measures during a crisis. Theywere triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the related disinformation.
The companies could be forced to hand over data related to their algorithms to regulators and researchers. The companies also face a yearly fee of up to 0.05% of worldwide annual revenue to cover the costs of monitoring their compliance.'
