The platforms 'gatekeeping terrorism guidance', Snap's safety battle & Dawes on X
Hello and welcome to Everything in Moderation's Week in Review, your need-to-know news and analysis about platform policy, content moderation and internet regulation. It's written by me, Ben Whitelaw and supported by members like you.
Today’s edition is lighter than usual; I’m off to Bologna for the weekend, where I’ll be visiting its famous censured statue and taking a distinctly unmoderated approach to what I eat. If you have dining recommendations, do let me know.
That's not to say there's not a lot going on: countries going head-to-head on online safety, a brewing battle with volunteer mods and the head of the UK regulator sticking her head (briefly) above the parapet. New subscribers from Edelman, eSafety Commission, Salesforce, Tremau, Spotify, Booking.com, Web Purify, Atlantic Council and elsewhere; a) buckle up and b) check out Alice's guide to getting the most out of your frontline moderators.
Thanks for reading; here's everything you need to know this week — BW
Policies
New and emerging internet policy and online speech regulation
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), created by big players like Meta, Microsoft, and YouTube to tackle terrorist content online, is dealing with major internal struggles and outside criticism, according to big Wired investigation. The non-profit has been deemed slow-moving and unresponsive, with major platforms accused of “gatekeeping access to anti-terrorism guidance and influencing the content users encounter across the web”. The forum is caught in a tough spot — ensuring the new platforms adhere to its standards while trying to stay relevant in a fast-moving regulatory climate. My read of the week.
I missed this one from last week but six European countries have taken collective aim against marketplaces such as Temu and Shein, arguing that “it remains crucial to rigorously enforce the DSA”, particularly when it comes to misleading interfaces (aka dark patterns) and the traceability of sellers on platforms. Chinese VLOPs have faced questions about the level of their safety measures; both companies received requests for information from the Commission over the summer (EiM #254).