Latest news with #socialMediaRegulation
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Brazil Court Majority Favors Tougher Social Media Rules
Brazil's Supreme Court reached a majority Wednesday in favor of toughening social media regulation, in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. The South American country's highest court is seeking to determine to what extent companies like X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are responsible for removing illegal content, and how they can be sanctioned if they do not, reported AFP. The judges' final ruling will create a precedent that will affect tens of millions of social media users in Brazil. At issue is a clause in the country's so-called Civil Framework for the Internet -- a law in effect since 2014 that says platforms are only responsible for harm caused by a post if they ignore a judge's order to remove it. By Wednesday, six of the court's 11 judges had ruled in favor of higher accountability, meaning sites should monitor content and remove problematic posts on their own initiative, without judicial intervention. One judge has voted against tougher regulation, and four have yet to express an opinion. "We must, as a court, move in the direction of freedom with responsibility and regulated freedom, which is the only true freedom," Judge Flavio Dino said during Wednesday's session, broadcast online. Not doing so would be like "trying to open an airline without regulation in the name of the right of free movement," he added. Google, for its part, said in a statement that changing the rules "will not contribute to ending the circulation of unwanted content on the internet." Coup plot Alexandre de Moraes, one of the court's judges, has repeatedly clashed with X owner Elon Musk and various right-wing personalities over social media posts. The review is taking place in parallel with the Supreme Court trial of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is alleged to have collaborated on a coup plot to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro's followers used social media to lie about the reliability of the electoral system and plot the downfall of successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Last year, Moraes blocked X for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had previously ordered X to suspend the accounts of several Bolsonaro supporters. Musk and other critics say Moraes is stifling free speech, and US President Donald Trump's administration is weighing sanctions against the judge, whom Bolsonaro accuses of judicial "persecution." Lula, who emerged the victor in the tightly-fought 2022 election against Bolsonaro, is advocating for "accelerating regulation" of online platforms.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Brazil set to reshape internet law as Supreme Court favours stricter rules on X, TikTok and Meta platform
BRASILIA, June 12 — Brazil's Supreme Court reached a majority yesterday in favor of toughening social media regulation, in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech. The South American country's highest court is seeking to determine to what extent companies like X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are responsible for removing illegal content, and how they can be sanctioned if they do not. The judges' final ruling will create a precedent that will affect tens of millions of social media users in Brazil. At issue is a clause in the country's so-called Civil Framework for the Internet—a law in effect since 2014 that says platforms are only responsible for harm caused by a post if they ignore a judge's order to remove it. By Wednesday, six of the court's 11 judges had ruled in favor of higher accountability, meaning sites should monitor content and remove problematic posts on their own initiative, without judicial intervention. One judge has voted against tougher regulation, and four have yet to express an opinion. 'We must, as a court, move in the direction of freedom with responsibility and regulated freedom, which is the only true freedom,' Judge Flavio Dino said during Wednesday's session, broadcast online. Not doing so would be like 'trying to open an airline without regulation in the name of the right of free movement,' he added. Google, for its part, said in a statement that changing the rules 'will not contribute to ending the circulation of unwanted content on the internet.' Coup plot Alexandre de Moraes, one of the court's judges, has repeatedly clashed with X owner Elon Musk and various right-wing personalities over social media posts. The review is taking place in parallel with the Supreme Court trial of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is alleged to have collaborated on a coup plot to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro's followers used social media to lie about the reliability of the electoral system and plot the downfall of successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Last year, Moraes blocked X for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation. He had previously ordered X to suspend the accounts of several Bolsonaro supporters. Musk and other critics say Moraes is stifling free speech, and US President Donald Trump's administration is weighing sanctions against the judge, whom Bolsonaro accuses of judicial 'persecution.' Lula, who emerged the victor in the tightly-fought 2022 election against Bolsonaro, is advocating for 'accelerating regulation' of online platforms. — AFP
Free Malaysia Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
TikTok, Meta endure tougher Asia crackdown as US efforts stall
TikTok has highlighted the voluntary measures it has implemented to support safety for teens. (EPA Images pic) SINGAPORE : Some of the toughest new laws attempting to rein in TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat aren't coming from Washington or Brussels. They're emerging from capitals such as Canberra, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Governments across the Asia-Pacific region are leading the global charge to protect children from online harms, presenting an unprecedented challenge to the likes of ByteDance Ltd, Meta Platforms Inc and Snap Inc in markets with some of their largest and most youthful user bases. Australia late last year passed a law requiring social media platforms to keep children under the age of 16 off their services. New Zealand's governing party last week put forward a bill that mirrors Australia's move. Indonesia is formulating restrictions for those under 18 accessing social media. Malaysia is requiring social media firms to obtain licences to operate in the country, while Singaporean policymakers have signaled they're open to minimum-age laws. Meanwhile, Vietnam is requiring foreign social platforms verify their users' accounts and provide authorities with their identities on demand, and Pakistan wants such firms to register with a new agency. 'I've met with parents who have lost and buried their child. It's devastating,' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in November. 'We can't as a government hear those messages from parents and say it's too hard. We have a responsibility to act,' he said. To be sure, it's unclear how strictly some of the measures will be enforced. Social media titans face headwinds elsewhere, such as the European Commission's Digital Markets and Digital Services Acts, along with moves by other nations attempting to curb children's access to the platforms. In the US, social media firms have come under fire in some states, but the federal government has yet to pass meaningful legislation requiring they establish more guardrails. The senate in July passed the Kids Online Safety Act, which would force companies to prioritise children's wellbeing, but the measure has stalled in the house. Meta faces a landmark antitrust case by the US Federal Trade Commission, while TikTok could be banned in the country. Meanwhile one US law firm is pursuing a new legal strategy, focusing on product liability, to hold tech giants accountable for harms to children despite longstanding protections afforded by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. 'New rules in Asia-Pacific could complicate companies' operations across the region, said Ewan Lusty, a Singapore-based director at political and regulatory consultancy Flint Global. 'If you've got each country implementing their own version of a regulation, then the cost of complying with that will multiply for tech firms,' he said. The emerging restrictions also pose a new threat because they could curtail the tech titans' growth in some of the world's most populous markets. Southeast Asia is home to more than 650 million people, while South Asia's population stands at roughly 2 billion. Young internet users across the region are expected to play a vital role in propelling digital firms' expansion in the years to come. China has for years blocked foreign online platforms, shutting them out of a market of some 1.4 billion people. In a bid to capitalise on growth across Asia-Pacific, Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Microsoft Corp and other tech giants are investing billions of dollars in the region as young users increasingly communicate with friends online, shop, stream video and use generative AI. Social network titans don't typically break out user counts or sales by country, but they often derive most of their revenue from developed economies in the west, where advertisers pay more to reach wealthier consumers. User growth in many richer nations, though, has slowed over the years. For Meta, Southeast and South Asian nations make up significant global shares of Instagram and Facebook user accounts, with those consumers tending to be younger, according to data from digital consulting firm Kepios Pte, which specialises in analysing online behaviour. Markets across the region also have some of the world's highest rates of user engagement for Meta's products, and many citizens depend on Facebook, especially, as a gateway to the internet. Meta and other firms also often use such countries as testing grounds for new product initiatives. TikTok's largest market by users is the US, but five of its 10 biggest globally are in Southeast or South Asia, according to Kepios data. Snapchat has more than twice as many users in South Asia than in the US, the data shows. Australia, which has a track record of battling big tech, in November passed its controversial law banning young children from social media beginning at the end of this year. Platforms will be responsible for enforcing the age limit, with penalties of as much as A$50 million (US$32 million) for breaches. While opinion polls have shown that many Australian voters support the new rule in principle, some of the companies, academics and children's rights groups call it flawed and question how it might be enforced. An executive at one major tech firm, asking not to be identified discussing sensitive matters, said Australia's move has resulted in consternation among companies and uncertainty over how things will proceed. A Meta spokesman said the company is committed to keeping young people safe and that safety tools it has rolled out for such users have proven popular around the world. A spokesman for Snap pointed to concerns that have been raised about Australia's new rules, but said the company would work with the Australian government ahead of their implementation and comply with any regulations. TikTok has in the past highlighted voluntary measures it has implemented to support safety for teens. X declined to comment. The Asia Internet Coalition, an industry group that represents major tech players in matters of tech policy in the region, didn't respond to requests for comment on the regulatory moves. 'Asia-Pacific policymakers in the past haven't been as quick as governments elsewhere to regulate tech firms, but that's changing now,' said Lusty of Flint Global. 'The region is becoming increasingly important in debates around how we govern the digital space,' he said.
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Deputy communications minister leads talks on tackling fake news, cyberbullying at Asean meet in Brunei
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 7 — Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching today held bilateral meetings with Asean ministers from Cambodia and Brunei on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of Asean Ministers Responsible For Information (AMRI) and Related Meetings, here. Teo's meeting with Cambodia's Information Minister Neth Pheaktra, which lasted about 40 minutes, saw both countries exchanging experience in curbing fake news, cyberbullying, misinformation and disinformation on social media as well as ethical use of Artificial Intelligence at the national level. Both leaders also spoke at length on the importance of regulating social media, including mechanisms such as licensing and codes of conduct, as well as forging deeper cooperation between both ministries, particularly in the exchange of news, media practices, and communication technologies. They jointly acknowledged that combating false information can be effectively addressed through content moderation and self-regulation, in collaboration with online platforms to update guidelines and standardise policies. The two leaders also voiced their concern about how social media is being used for scam activities and widespread misinformation, as it causes harmful effects on people. During the meeting, Teo noted that Malaysia is currently implementing social media licensing under a new regulatory framework, among others to ensure safer digital platforms by enhancing online safety, safeguard users and improve regulatory oversight of social media and internet messaging platforms. Meanwhile, Brunei's Minister at Prime Minister's Office Halbi Mohd Yussof voiced his support for enhanced regional cooperation in tackling digital challenges. He also expressed hope for stronger collaboration and joint initiatives between Brunei and Malaysia, reinforcing the region's collective efforts to build a safer and more responsible digital ecosystem. Both bilateral meetings were also attended by the Information Department (Japen) Communications and Community Development Service Division director Muhammad Najmi Mustapha and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief corporate and international officer Syahrilazli Mahammad. Also in the meeting were MCMC director II (asean and Bilateral) Fatin Nabiha Ab Aziz, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) executive editor for International News Service Mohd Shukri Ishak, as well as other high-ranking officials from the Communications Ministry and its agencies. Cambodia and Brunei are among the Asean member countries participating in the 17th AMRI which concluded today. Teo is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with China's representative on Thursday. — Bernama
