The reputation of social networks has slightly changed: During the refugee crises, they became places of hatred and agitation. Especially since the US election in 2016, Facebook is under public criticism due to its role in the spreading of „fake news“. All around the globe, government make pressure for a stronger regulation of these digital services – and therefore to limit freedom of expression and press freedom.
Germany served as a dangerous precedence. The highly disputed
Social Network Enforcement Act („NetzDG“) in 2017 was the beginning. Today, the approach is considered to be copied by Russia, Thailand or the Philippines.
However, the European debate too often misses the potential for journalism that social networks still have. This is true for Germany, but much more especially for countries with a limited freedom of the press. In regions without a stabile media system, social networks are today the only possibility to report critically.
In this session, three speakers will shed light on the different aspects of the discussion: Mohamed Hamama from Egypt will explain how his news outlet exists only because of Facebook and Twitter. The German blogger and news presenter Richard Gutjahr, however, will show how difficult it is being a victim of conspiracy theories, fighting not only against the trolls but also against the networks itself. Daniel Moßbrucker from Reporters Without Borders will finally present an approach on how a regulative framework for social networks could look like.
Links:
Unter Beschuss: Das #NetzDG in der Praxis. Ein Erfahrungsbericht (www.gutjahr.biz)
“Kannste dir nicht ausdenken”: Facebook lehnt Richard Gutjahrs Werbeposting für Vortrag über Hatespeech ab (meedia)
Reporter ohne Grenzen: Regulierung sozialer Medien
