WE WANT A DEMOCRATIC INTERNET!
The internet has given people the chance to connect to each other, express themselves online and gain access to knowledge and information at the click of a button. We want to make sure the internet is a democratic space where people feel safe and able to share content freely.
However, EU laws regulating the internet have not been updated in 20 years, and some big tech companies have come to dominate the online sphere, taking control over what people say and who gets to read it.
The European Commission recently presented the Digital Services Act (DSA) - EU legislation that will set new rules for digital services and market-dominant companies like Facebook, Google, and co., so now we have a unique opportunity to start fixing some of the societal problems that big tech is causing today. These new rules will shape the internet for years to come and may well end up setting a new global standard.
REFORMING THE RULES
Online communications have the immense potential to allow everyone to have a voice, mobilise, and connect globally. Still, they can also pose a real threat to our democracies and our economies, if the internet is dominated by just a few conglomerates.
The DSA presents an opportunity for us to build a better internet, which is democratic and safe and where profit interests do not control public debate. We need to make sure illegal content is taken offline, while our freedom of expression is properly protected. The DSA will enable us to take the power over our fundamental rights out of the hands of large companies and into the hands of the people and our democratic institutions.
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OUR SOLUTIONS FOR A DEMOCRATIC INTERNET
The Internet should be human-centred and any future rules need to protect fundamental rights. In practice, that means :
- Putting rights and freedoms at the heart of the Digital Services Act: We need to ensure that content and redress mechanisms are available on all platforms. This introduces legal certainty and increases the accountability of service providers towards their users.
- Stopping automated censorship: Automated content filters cannot guarantee the protection of users. We need to reject content moderation procedures based on automated tools or upload-filtering of content as this risks disproportionately blocking people’s freedom of expression.
- Ending surveillance capitalism: tech platforms have built their business models on advertising, more specifically on the accumulation of massive amounts of personal data which they sell off to the highest bidder. We introduced text in the DSA reports calling for a ban on behavioural advertising and micro-targeting. This is necessary to allow users to regain control over their data, to ensure the independence of the press from the giant online gatekeepers and to protect free and fair elections.
- Diversifying the online ecosystem and guaranteeing user choice: It is our goal that users shall be able to communicate with each other across different services (e.g. messaging services, social networks), rather than always be locked in to using one dominant platform.
- Addressing the business model of big platforms, which contributes to spreading problematic and illegal content: The spread of illegal content should be contained by introducing a tiered transparency model and giving users control over content proposed to them.
Did you or your community experience any unjustified or wrongful removal of your posts, accounts, ads on any online platform? Act, now! Share your examples here.
We want to call out social media censorship and violations of freedom of expression online. We are gathering examples of cases where legitimate speech got blocked, removed or deprioritised. Report content and account take-downs.
Tell us what happened to you and how it affected you, your group, or your work?
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