While inflation, the Russia/Ukraine war, and abortion are making national headlines, there’s also a lot happening on the Internet front that should not be ignored. Here’s what you should know.
Texas’s HB 20
What is It? A recent decision by a Texas federal appeals court allows the state’s residents to sue big social media companies if they believe their posts were removed because they expressed controversial viewpoints.
What it Means. In a nutshell, HB 20 would allow anyone to say anything online without any content moderation. It would prevent companies from curbing misinformation and hate speech, turning the Internet into even more of a cesspool for hate speech and calls for violence. Jeff Joseph, CEO of SIIA and member of Virtual Events Group, has joined 18 other companies in filing an amicus brief should the case reach the Supreme Court. The brief reinforces the importance of content moderation. Read more at Fast Company.
The EU’s Digital Services Act
What is it? The European Union reached a deal on landmark legislation that would force social media platforms such as Facebook to combat misinformation, to disclose how their services amplify divisive content and to stop targeting online ads based on a person’s ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
What it Means. Unlike in the US, the EU has indicated it intends to crack down on social media platforms. Tech companies would need to figure out how to curb hate speech, terrorism, racism, and false advertising or face legal penalties; this could virtually end self-regulation by platforms.
Net Neutrality
What is It? This saga is batted around during every administration and it’s about to rise again. The argument is that Internet service providers (ISPs) including AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast should not be allowed to favor certain content or to throttle the speed of certain content for certain market segments on the Internet. Companies like Comcast, which owns NBC Universal, can't favor their own content over that of a competitor. And wealthy enterprises can’t have information delivered at different speeds (for a price) than those available to mere mortals.
When Democrats were in control in 2015, the FCC approved the Open Internet Order, which categorized ISPs as subject to net neutrality principles. During the Trump Administration, when Ajit Pai ran the FCC, net neutrality rules were relaxed to encourage more “innovation and competition.” The Biden Administration wants to reestablish the FCC's authority to impose stricter rules of the road for the internet. Biden named Jessica Rosenworcel, a net neutrality proponent, as acting chairperson. Gigi Sohn, another strong proponent, is awaiting confirmation to the FCC, but she’s been raked over the coals by her opponents, mainly by ISPs who don’t want more regulation.
What it Means. After months, Sohn still hasn’t been confirmed and the FCC remains deadlocked with two Democratic commissioners and two Republicans. Plus, a growing number of politicians want net neutrality to extend to social media platforms. They are calling for them to be treated like common carriers or public utilities and blocked from discriminating against users’ viewpoints. Watch the story unfold.
|