The efforts of governments and online platforms to regulate and police online content have waned. The trend appears to be driven by a shift in priorities, as many governments and businesses now prioritize issues such as cybersecurity and disinformation.
Although some countries, such as China and Russia, continue to heavily regulate online content, the overall number of countries adopting strict regulations has decreased. Furthermore, due to concerns about free speech and potential user backlash, online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are less likely to enforce content moderation policies.
Experts blame the decline in content policing on a variety of factors, including a lack of agreement on what constitutes harmful content, the difficulty of enforcing regulations across international borders, and a general trend toward a more libertarian approach to online speech.
While platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube increasingly rely on automated systems to flag content that may violate their policies, these policies and systems are set or programmed by people, and human moderators must still review decisions, handle more difficult cases, and resolve complaints.
The decline in content policing has serious implications for the internet’s future and free speech online. While some are concerned that a lack of regulation will result in an increase in harmful or extremist content, others argue that a more permissive approach is required to protect free expression and prevent censorship.
The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.