No private or government censorship in electronic media
In a study, Reporters Without Borders highlights the danger of private censorship on the Internet. While state support for the media is necessary, the state must not abuse it to interfere with freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
There is a temptation for authorities to control the public debate, the organization wrote on Thursday about the study. The study was commissioned by the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). The study examined possible regulation of the online debate from the perspective of Swiss law.
Disinformation, hate messages, manipulation attempts by bots and fake accounts are rampant on the internet. They are a challenge for an open, free and diverse debate, as the study states. However, according to the author, this challenge can only be overcome with full respect for freedom of expression and media freedom.
These freedoms must be protected, both against state interference and against distortions by platforms. This is how the diversity of public debate can be guaranteed.
Delicate regulation
The study considers direct regulation through the law, the platforms' moderation policy or through usage rules to be tricky in view of fundamental rights. This would often result in the digital giants being given the inappropriate power to arbitrarily discriminate against legal or supposedly illegal statements. They only exercise this private censorship in order to limit legal or reputational risks.
According to the study, regulation must counter the risk of private censorship and refrain from measures that provide for the control of content. This is particularly the case when the illegality of content depends on the context or a balancing of interests.
Among the measures examined, the study focused in particular on the transparency of algorithms. According to the information provided, this is a prerequisite for the desirable political, ideological and religious neutrality of platforms. It would also promote the right to reliable information on the internet.
These are also the goals of the Partnership for Information and Democracy, which was initiated by the international secretariat of Reporters Without Borders and which Switzerland joined in 2019 together with around thirty countries.
Ban on bots and fake accounts
The organization recommends that tools such as bots and fake accounts should not be used in connection with referendums. A ban should be considered if technically possible. Under existing law, the authorities are obliged to react and correct facts if grossly inaccurate information is disseminated on the networks.
According to the study, government support for the media industry in the digital transformation is necessary. This would protect the public's right to relevant, diverse and trustworthy information. However, support must fully respect editorial freedom and must not influence the content produced. (SDA)
