The trigger was the social media company’s position that it found the posts and accounts to “constitute free speech” and “newsworthy”. At the core of this confrontation is a simple question: Who has the mandate to regulate speech online — the State or the private entity running the service? In these three instances — particularly the first two — online speech helped address the information asymmetry between a State that did not enjoy popular support and the people. Ultimately, then, the entity that holds the best mandate to regulate speech online is a democratic, rules-based institution. The world needs to evolve an independent, impartial domain — almost similar to an independent judiciary — to help navigate the dilemmas at the heart of regulating online speech.

Source: Hindustan Times February 06, 2021 14:16 UTC