Speakers at the working group “Regulating Big Tech - Transparency and Accountability in Content Moderation” at the international conference on social media expressed regret for exclusion of civil society institutions from partnerships being established between governments and social media companies.
They noted that these companies which are responsible of dealing to remove some illegal materials from their websites used to consider that technical problems.
The participants also stressed that some governments always have many problems to face on social media, such as extremism, terrorism and hate speeches, but some governments deal with these issues as technical issues although they know they are societal problems rather than technical problems.
The participants of the working group said that this was because some responsibilities and supervision regarding the content moved from the State to the companies. They criticising the slowness of these companies in removing posts that incite hatred and terrorist propaganda posted in their platforms, as well as accused them of suppressing freedom of expression and engaging in some agendas.
Director of International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation Jillian York said that some governments and social media companies deliberately ignore civil society organisations in many of the agreements between the two sides. She noted that after years of monitoring and supervision by governments on social media to face many societal problems, the result was negative, as it was unable to provide solutions to these problems, confirming that many governments and social media companies participate in repression through the Internet, and that repression operations is carried out through legislation enacted by governments with companies to limit freedom of expression.
York stressed that there is no disagreement about the importance of countering terrorism, but the policies that were followed to counter it did not bring the achievements, but rather it ignored many crimes that should rise to war crimes such as those committed by the Syrian regime, and were documented through social media. She also explained that social media companies themselves discriminate between people, as there is discrimination against women and there is discrimination against citizens.
She expressed regret that civil society institutions are excluded from partnerships between governments and social media companies, pointing out that these companies insist on dealing with many societal problems as technical problems.
Commissioner of National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Jerald Joseph pointed to the importance of working to change laws dating back to colonial times and called on governments to respect human rights and freedom of expression for which activists are being prosecuted.
Joseph said that companies, in turn, are called upon to respect human rights, noting the need to cooperate with the government side in order to make progress on these levels.
Social media expert in Taiwan and East Asia Michel Shia said that some countries have used electronic applications to monitor their citizens, while others have used them to counter false and fabricated news issued against them.
Fernand de Varennes, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issue, pointed to the high level of hatred towards minorities in recent years through social media platforms, and noted that there are major challenges in this area, which the international community must raise to reduce the level of hatred. He explained that three quarters of hate in social media is directed against minorities.
He drew attention to the importance of clarity in dealing with such a file and searching for the causes of hatred and whoever it targets, and he considered that it is not an easy task, especially in light of the absence of global standards in this regard. He stressed that there is no conflict between international law and freedom of expression.
Senior Political Advisor of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the EU Matilda Sisatto examined the impact of social media and various applications on human life.
She said that although these applications and websites have made it easy for people to see their important matters, they have become at the same time a way to monitor people and collect data about them.