Creating the Internet We Want

The content moderation debates are raging again. Now is the time for small states with diverse voices to step in to help define the internet we want.

By Xische Editorial, June 10, 2020

Source: 32 pixels/Shutterstock

For most of their existence, social media companies have tried their best to stay away from content moderation. Leading platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have repeatedly argued that they can’t be the arbiters of truth or the editors of perceptions. With protection afforded by several American laws that shield social media companies from liability for the content they publish, the uneasy status quo has lasted for years. But this is changing and anyone interested in technology needs to pay close attention to the changes underfoot. 

For years there have been calls for major social media companies to reign in hate speech on their platforms. From outright racism to potentially dangerous incitement, social media companies have had to walk a thin line between being open platforms to regulating what can and can’t be said. Twitter recently took the bold step of putting some of US President Donald Trump’s tweets related to the ongoing protests in America behind a cover with a disclaimer that they violated the company’s terms of service for “glorifying violence”. 

Other companies followed suit, including Snapchat, which announced that it would no longer promote the president’s content on its platform. Facebook took a different approach with CEO Mark Zuckerberg standing by his line that the company doesn’t want to be in a position to decide what should and shouldn’t be on its platform. Zuckerberg’s comments have led to a revolt inside the company. 

It’s unclear how this saga over content moderation will end or even if it will end. The debate over moderation, like data rights, is a critical piece of how technology will continue to develop. It’s one of the unique parts of the internet as we know it. What is undeniably clear is that knowledge economies around the world have a vested interest in having a seat at the debate table. For an emerging knowledge economy like the UAE, this is all the more important for several reasons. 

Through its investment vehicles, the UAE has a vested interest in the social media and technology landscape. This month, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority took a 1.16 percent share worth $750 million in Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio Platforms. In April, Facebook invested $5.7 billion in Reliance Jio Platforms for a 9.99 percent stake. As the world’s second-largest internet market, these investments in the Indian internet space will have long-term implications. 

The focus should now focus on ensuring the UAE has a leading voice on issues concerning content moderation. As one of the capitals of the emerging world, UAE programmers and innovators understand many budding markets better than the social media behemoths based in the United States. Building on that knowledge, the UAE can play a constructive role in establishing the right narratives about misunderstood people and topics. 

Consider the problem of Islamophobia on platforms like Facebook. The UAE is already countering stereotypes and ensuring that misinformation about Islam is properly countered on popular platforms. Coupled with the financial stakes that that UAE has in companies like Reliance Jio, a constructive role in expanding content moderation makes good sense. 

While it might seem like a controversial subject, content moderation is a critical part of the modern internet. The historic decisions taken by the likes of Twitter in recent months have accelerated the debate around moderation in untold ways. As part of a robust knowledge economy, the UAE can actively participate in these ongoing debates and further deepen its guiding role in the development of the internet. 

Writing in The Guardian, the media professor Siva Vaidhyanathan notes that social media “companies should do what is best for themselves, their workers, customers, users, and shareholders. There is no reason to expect companies to care about anything so vague and contradictory as the public interest. They have no incentive to do so.” 

Powerful networked countries like the UAE can help be the spark that transforms incentives for companies to behave better. Time and again, we have learned that we have the power to create the internet that we want. By taking a more active role in the content moderation debate, we have a valuable opportunity to create new standards that better conforms to the internet we all want. The change starts with us.