FACT Aotearoa supports regulation to mitigate the harm of misinformation and the spread of calls to violence which persist in online spaces. We believe that a process of public engagement with the public and civil society, and discussion with platforms, backed by robust enforcement, can provide safety without stifling legitimate discussion. Indeed, without the thinly disguised threats of harm that currently abound, public debate will include more voices and allow more perspectives.
We urge supporters of free speech for all to submit in support of local regulation and reduce the control currently in the hands of the platform. We don’t believe the owners are sufficiently aware of or committed to our local needs and concerns.
Please feel free to use our content to support your call for change. Just emailing the first three paragraphs will record your support for community-driven regulation to support diverse engagement and more freedom to speak without fear on our larger online platforms.
Our response in a nutshell:
FACT Aotearoa strongly supports this proposal. We feel that an appointment requiring the participation of our whole society in defining and monitoring harm is more democratic, responsive and based in local issues, and is superior to an appointment without these requirements, and to self-moderation by platforms.
We point out that opposition on the grounds of this being a political appointment leaves us with an unmanaged platform-based approach (except for the most harmful content). This is a less responsive, less democratic and less local process to define and monitor harm, so opposing on those grounds is disingenuous, as it prefers self-monitoring by unconcerned and profit-motivated platforms.
We applaud the requirement for education and want that well and urgently funded. We believe here is reason to suggest that projects building social cohesion and critical thinking skills should also be funded within certain parameters.
- Submission request from the DIA website
- Read the discussion document
- See the FACT Aotearoa submission
- Make your submission
- Email your opinion: sosmp_consultation@dia.govt.nz
Submissions due: 31 July
