Climate of censorship stifles innovation and dampens spirit to find novel solutions to pressing issues
US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Elizabeth Allen addresses event organised by SLPI on challenges to media freedom here and abroad
The serious and escalating challenges to media freedom in Sri Lanka and around the world came in for discussion during a Press Club event organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) with visiting US Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Elizabeth Allen.
The recent passage of the controversial Online Safety Act (OSA) through Parliament was a topic that came up repeatedly. “When governments intensify efforts to withhold information from the public by restricting internet access and censoring content, we must speak up. Notably, when Sri Lanka’s Parliament passed the Online Safety Bill in January, the United States voiced concerns over its potential effects on freedom of expression, innovation, and privacy,” Ms Allen said in her opening remarks.
She noted that it’s common to hear arguments against unfettered freedom of expression. “Critics claim the media is biased, aiming to embarrass governments and undermine public trust. Others worry that without checks, freedom of expression may fuel the spread of misinformation. Some argue that an unchecked press can incite tension and compromise security. And there’s concern that continuous reports on corruption, violence, and political strife can tarnish a nation’s image, deterring investment and hampering development,” the envoy acknowledged. However, she stressed that the media’s bias should lean towards the public’s interest, acting as a guardian to ensure that leaders fulfill their duties. “This principle holds in Sri Lanka, the United States, and globally.”
She emphasised that the press’s duty is to deliver facts as they stand, shedding light on the government’s achievements as well as spotlighting areas where policies or programmes fall short. This transparency not only informs the public but also strengthens the nation as it encourages constructive action and improvement, noted Ms Allen.
Suppressing voices only complicates matters further, she argued. “Attempting to conceal issues rather than addressing them is akin to hiding a broken tool rather than fixing it. True progress comes from collaborative dialogue, even if it means embracing the messiness of public discourse.”
Overly broad and ambiguous limitations on expression can choke creativity, robbing society of potential advancements that fuel innovation and economic growth, the Under Secretary added. She warned that a climate of censorship not only stifles innovation but also dampens the community’s spirit to solve pressing issues with novel solutions.
During the Q & A session that followed her opening remarks, the Under Secretary again delved into the OSA and the draft Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB) in answer to a question raised by an audience member regarding the legislation. She said the US shares the concerns of journalists and others everywhere on the “potential of repression” on freedom of expression and the “stifling on dissent” that risks coming about owing to the OSA. She added however, that the US is encouraged by the move to introduce further amendments to the Act.
“We have been encouraged to give our feedback and we have done so privately and publicly,” Ms Allen said. She further said the US shares the concerns expressed by technology companies as well in terms of their ability to operate in Sri Lanka freely. "I think everybody sees the digital economy as a way to continue to build Sri Lanka’s economic future and to both attract investment and preserve freedom of expression.”
“We do have concerns with the legislation as it currently stands,” she said of the OSA and the draft ATB. “We think it’s really important that as the amendments process for the Online Safety Bill moves forward and as the consideration of the AntiTerrorism Bill moves forward before it is passed, that the conversations around that legislation be consultative.”
The US has supported those discussions with sections of civil society, journalists, technology companies and academics, said Ms Allen. “We can only hope to have effective legislation if these equities from a variety of stakeholders are taken into account. That’s something we will continue to advocate for.”
US Ambassador Julie Chung, who also took part in the Q & A session, said during discussions she has had with Sri Lankan journalists, they had brought up the “chilling effect” that the OSA could potentially have.
Ambassador Chung said the concerns the US had regarding the OSA fell into three categories, namely the process, intent and implementation. She noted that many have criticised the process where the OSA was adopted as deeply flawed, with the government not taking in extensive input and suggestions from a wide variety of stakeholders. Regarding the intent, she pointed out that while the OSA is supposedly intended to combat things like pornography online and attacks against women and children, there are broad definitions in the legislation that give rise to concern. Finally, everyone is yet to see how the new legislation would be implemented. While an amendment process for the OSA is reportedly ongoing, she said the question was that when finally implemented, will the legislation truly be used to do what it is supposedly intended to do, or whether it will ultimately have that chilling effect that journalists have spoken about.
The ambassador also pointed out that concerns regarding the OSA have been raised not just by the US and the international community. It is the voices from a broad range of Sri Lanka’s own citizens, from tech experts, civil society, lawyers groups, the private sector and journalist groups, who have been the most vocal. “Many around the country have raised their concerns about this Bill. I would encourage those in government to listen to not just the US or the international community, but most importantly the voices of its own citizens.”
The ongoing war in Gaza was also among the topics that were discussed, with the Under Secretary asked to explain whether the US government was not being hypocritical in its advocacy of diplomacy on the one-hand and supporting Israel’s policy in Gaza that had killed more than 24, 000 Palestinians since October 7.
Ms Allen echoed the words of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, insisting that the US is “not choosing between defending Israel and protecting Palestinian lives.” The US is working towards both of those things, she stressed adding that “too many Palestinians have been killed” and that “too many children have died.”
The US is not just involved in bringing more humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza, but is also pressing the Israelis and working with them to make it clear that how they do their military campaign matters very much and more protections must be taken to protect civilian lives, said the US official. She added that at this point, the US’s diplomatic focus is on getting a hostage deal to lead to a temporary cessation in fighting. “We believe that
that is the only way forward so that all parties can continue to talk.”
On the alleged targeted killings of journalists in Gaza by Israeli forces, the Under Secretary insisted that the US is “absolutely concerned” about such allegations and have raised those concerns with the Israelis. “We will continue to do that while we advocate for journalists to operate freely in Gaza. There are certainly messages delivered, both publicly and privately. We are also working with media outlets – both in the region and international media outlets to ensure that their journalists can operate safely and have freedom of movement (in Gaza). So that will continue to be central to our efforts,” she said.
Given that she was advocating for press freedom and freedom of expression, Ms Allen was asked by an audience member whether the issue of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is facing extradition from the UK to the US on charges of espionage, was not related to press freedom or freedom of expression. “The question of what happens to Mr Assange is largely a question for my colleagues in the Department of Justice in the United States. But I think more broadly thinking about the commitment to transparency, commitment to media freedom, the commitment to the safety of journalists is one in which the United States rests upon, and when there are potential criminal actions involved, then that is a matter for a separate jurisdiction than those of us diplomats.” However, around the world, the US is certainly advocating for the safety of journalists everywhere, she further said. “We are working to provide legal aid to journalists. We are working to provide funding to journalists, and we will continue to do so as part of our policy platform.”
Discussion also turned to countering misinformation and disinformation online and stopping election manipulation, especially considering that 2024 will be an election year not just for Sri Lanka and the US, but for many other countries around the world.
“We are working with our partners and allies to think about what kind of capacity building we can contribute to ensuring free, fair and timely elections. That includes both structural and information based solutions,” Ms Allen explained. One of the things the technology companies themselves are trying to do is recognise their role in this election cycle and the US does not ask them for specific policies, she stressed. “We do not moderate content on any social media platforms. Certainly, the US and governments around the world are regularly in touch with the platforms so they can make their own terms of use, their own terms of engagement, evolved in a way that does protect free and fair elections.”
She pointed out that it is extremely hard to refute something that’s already in the public domain given the power of first impression. “While it is incumbent upon us to call out lies and mistruths and to counter them with factual information, it’s also critically important that we think about how to make the information space healthier to begin with,” she remarked. She added that one of the matters the US is working on with partners and allies around the world is how to think about a more proactive, robust, comprehensive communications strategy to make the information space itself healthier, and thus decrease the likelihood that disinformation would spread as the only narrative to fill the vacuum.
On the US government’s efforts to counter the harmful effects of social media, the Under Secretary said that it would be difficult for any government to regulate social media companies, just due to the issue of their vast reach and the complexity of their technology. While the European Union is attempting to roll out a form of digital media regulation, Ms Allen noted this was still a work in progress and it remains to be seen just how effective it can be particularly with regard to balancing freedom of expression concerns. The US has not legislated any regulation of social media, she added. “I think our best chance for constructive cooperation on how they (social media companies) may approach their technology is through conversations between them and governments around the world,” she opined.
On concerns regarding how the algorithm used by social media companies could be used to manipulate political views of users, she expressed the view that the problem is not so much a technological one but more to do with the echo chambers that users find themselves in. “The fact is our social media space only serves to reinforce our own bias and potentially makes bias more extreme. This means we have to double down on building people-to-people relationships. Building interpersonal relationships is how we are going to prevent the power of algorithms societally,” she stressed.
The Under Secretary underlined the importance of reaching the youth early on how to be information consumers. To do so, she said it was necessary to introduce media and digital literacy early in schools and offer curriculum that’s free. The US government is currently doing that through its American Corner initiative in Sri Lanka, where youth are offered media literacy programmes, she noted.