Read on Twitter
The report you've all been waiting for is out this morning. Yes, the DCMS committee report on online misinformation in the pandemic. First things first: it is about the proposed #onlineharms framework. Covid itself is almost irrelevant. Some highlights: https://twitter.com/CommonsDCMS/status/1285352537135218688?s=20
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- The Committee wants the online harms legislation to comply with international human rights law. We've asked for this.
-The Cmte wants Parliament, not the regulator, or companies, to have oversight on deciding which harms are in scope and how they are defined. Ditto.
- The Committee wants the online harms legislation to comply with international human rights law. We've asked for this.
-The Cmte wants Parliament, not the regulator, or companies, to have oversight on deciding which harms are in scope and how they are defined. Ditto.
-Cmte wants regulator to have power to standardise platforms' internal policies, community standards, & terms of service across platforms, and have the authority to "disrupt business activities" & impose custodial sentences for noncompliance. A big fat no to all of the above. 
-Cmte wants government to create a "world-leading" code of practice on mis/disinformation, as it's already done with its draft terrorist and CSAM codes of practice, to prepare the ground for legislation on mis/disinfo.
You lost me at "world-leading."
You lost me at "world-leading."
-Cmte concurs with all common sense that automated AI content moderation is not the silver bullet
-Transparency reports will be mandatory, but large global platforms already do them anyway. Hold that thought.
-Transparency reports should include data on bot activity.
-Transparency reports will be mandatory, but large global platforms already do them anyway. Hold that thought.
-Transparency reports should include data on bot activity.
-User verification issues, e.g. the wish many legislators have to strip Twitter users of their blue ticks if they spread disinformation, is a bone they're not letting go of, despite disinformation and identity verification being two unrelated issues.
-Cmte wants the ‘clear set of requirements’ and ‘detailed content standards’ used in public service broadcasting to be copied as a benchmark for quantifying and measuring the range of harms in scope of legislation. Erm.
-The Counter Disinformation Unit needs a rethink.
-The Counter Disinformation Unit needs a rethink.
-Last thought: as with everything government does, their blinders, blinkers, obsession, grievances, and vendettas with tech platforms - meaning a handful of US and Chinese companies - has no thought for startups, scaleups, or aspirants facing an FB-size regulatory burden.
</wonk>
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