The Evidence Hub for Policymakers
The debate on Donald Trump’s belated suspension from social media platforms – he has long been in violation of “community standards” that ban the spread of illegal content and would have gotten ousted much sooner had he been an ordinary user – has ranged far from the real issues at stake here. For starters, the …
Continue reading “Donald Trump, Sedition and Social Media: Will the Ban Stop the Rot?”
The European Commission has sent a strong signal: like the electronic commerce directive (2000) before it, the new digital services act will “preserve” the “country of origin principle” – a core tool in the European Union’s legislative chest. That principle holds that if a product or service is legal and licensed in one European Union …
Continue reading “Country of Origin: New Rules, New Requirements”
Few issues have brought the challenge of Internet regulation to the fore more than the recent COVID-19 crisis. The global pandemic and ensuing lockdown offered a near-perfect petri dish for testing the commitment of platforms to the spread of correct, accurate health information under the most trying, jarring circumstances – and for making sure that …
Continue reading “Disinformation and COVID-19: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back”
The rules on illegal content are clear: if it’s illegal in the real world then it’s illegal online. Platforms and regulators have seldom sparred over this; the community guidelines enforced by most platforms are straight-forward. Content suspected of being illegal can be flagged for inspection – or blocked at upload – and should be removed …
Continue reading “Illegal Content: Safe Harbours, Safe Families”
Terrorism is one of those rare domains where most people agree: it is a despicable practice that deserves no tolerance and ought to have no place in this world. Innocent lives are shattered, young minds are poisoned, rule of law is undermined and democracy is weakened. There is no free-speech opt-out for violent crime or …
Continue reading “Incitement to Terrorism: Are Tougher Measures Needed?”
The Internet has given birth to an explosion of creativity – or is it more of an implosion, as some argue? Creative-industry lobbyists are fond of talking up a “value gap,” arguing that revenue generated online through advertising is not being shared out equitably by platforms with creators – or, to be more precise, with …
Continue reading “Creative Works, Copyright and Innovation: What the Evidence Tells Us”