The internet giants need regulation
Few would argue that the internet has not been a liberating force, one on a par with the invention of the movable type printing press. As with Gutenberg’s great creation half a millennium ago, it allows for the wider and speedier dissemination of ideas, images and opinions. Unlike printing, however, it is almost impossible to control. In some ways this is a good thing: censorship of views that the authorities do not like was imposed on the printed word for centuries and still is in many countries. Regulatory controls and legal redress remain in force almost everywhere.
When TV and radio arrived on the scene, they were accompanied by regulation. The internet, by contrast, is an unregulated space and the companies that dominate its output, like Google and Facebook, show little inclination to reduce harmful content or combat so-called fake news.
The question, therefore, is whether they should be subject to the same regulations as other media companies. Since the state has legislated in many fields to protect people – especially children – from influences likely to harm them, why should the internet giants be treated any differently? We have argued that they should be subject to a statutory duty of care to make them face up to their responsibilities. Today, Sharon White, head of the regulator Ofcom, will say that an estimated 12 million British internet users have suffered online harm, with social media platforms the worst purveyors of illegal, dangerous, misleading or inappropriate material. Research, she says, shows that people want the rules to be tighter.
How to do it? Most of the big firms are based abroad, mainly in the US, where regulation is considered inimical to free speech. Ms White advocates statutory backed regulation that protects innovation and freedom of expression, but holds the companies to account for how they deal with online harms.
How to impose controls on a world whose very existence is a denial of the role and scope of regulation is a challenge for democratic politicians. Dictatorships such as China can simply ban outlets they do not like. What would help – and mitigate the need for heavy-handed laws – is for the internet giants to recognise their duties and act responsibly. Ministers keep telling us that, if they don’t, the state will step in. At some point the Government needs to make good on this threat – or admit it is an empty one. We accept letters by post, fax and email only. Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers.
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