The largely unchecked power of social media platforms and oligarchic owners like Elon Musk, himself responsible for amplifying much of the hateful, divisive, and downright lying content he should be moderating, has become a critical issue. The social media platforms failed to act on 89% of these reports, including many using hashtags such as #deathtoislam, #islamiscancer and #raghead. Particularly disgracefully, they found that social media companies were continuing to allow content glorifying the 2019 Christchurch massacre, in which a white supremacist gunman attacked two Mosques and murdered 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand. The German Network Enforcement Act offers a precedent, requiring social media companies to remove "clearly illegal" content within 24 hours of notification or face fines of up to €50 million. Social media companies should be required to publish regular reports detailing their content moderation practices and compliance with legal standards.

Source: The Herald August 09, 2024 07:01 UTC