From terrorist propaganda to election disinformation, toxic content spreads farther faster than ever, thanks to online platforms. Addressing this problem, without crushing freedom of expression, requires clear and comprehensive regulatory approaches, based on human-rights principles.
WASHINGTON, DC – As the European Commission’s recent Digital Services Act demonstrates, lawmakers around the world are scrambling, with good reason, to address the extremism, disinformation, and manipulation that have consumed the digital ecosystem, distorted public discourse, and deepened polarization in recent years. And yet their efforts carry risks. Just as rules governing online domains can bolster democracy by promoting inclusive, informed debate, they can also be abused to inhibit freedom of expression.
WASHINGTON, DC – As the European Commission’s recent Digital Services Act demonstrates, lawmakers around the world are scrambling, with good reason, to address the extremism, disinformation, and manipulation that have consumed the digital ecosystem, distorted public discourse, and deepened polarization in recent years. And yet their efforts carry risks. Just as rules governing online domains can bolster democracy by promoting inclusive, informed debate, they can also be abused to inhibit freedom of expression.