Should social media sites be regulated to combat fake news and safeguard democracy?
Jo Stevens, Labour MP and member of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, says YES.
When we started our inquiry into fake news, we could not have predicted the sheer scale of what would be uncovered. We are facing a crisis in our democracy, and to safeguard future elections and referendums, the government must urgently regulate.
Misinformation has been distributed through social media platforms. Russian agencies and others have attempted to influence elections around the world using Facebook and other platforms in breach of electoral laws.
Tech companies, particularly Facebook, have tried to frustrate our inquiry and scrutiny into how data is gathered and shared using their platforms, and they still refuse to answer many of our questions about the extent of their data breaches.
Regulation of social media platforms, including legal responsibility for illegal content, fines based on a percentage of turnover for breaches of law, a levy to fund digital education (for all ages), and a beefed up information commissioner are just a few of the recommendations I want the government to implement.
Read more: MPs call for social media tax to cover costs of data misuse
Leon Emirali, an entrepreneur and investor, says NO.
Put frankly, politicians are in no position to regulate something they dont fully understand. Although I dont doubt the negative impact that “fake news” is having on democracy, the issue is far too complex for the current crop of politicians to start meddling with.
It takes just a few minutes to browse the profiles of most MPs to realise that wed be entering dangerous territory by letting them loose on regulating and restricting social media platforms which they barely know how to use.
The reality is that social media is still in its infancy. Weve been using it in the way we do today for less than a decade. It would be reckless for politicians, who arent digital natives, to impose regulations on something that is continually evolving and not yet mature.
A more sensible approach is to educate todays social media users on the dangers of fake news and leave it to the next generation of more tech-savvy politicians to enhance our digital democracy.
Read more: DEBATE: Should investors be concerned about Facebooks prospects?
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CityAM
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