OpenAI's safety promises, CSAM network in Indonesia and new anti-trust book
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.
US lawyers are the only winners in this week's EiM, which is packed with lawsuits, legal threats and looming showdowns between users, platforms and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.
I usually shout out the organisations of new EiM subscribers but this week I want to highlight their global breadth; folks from all parts of the US, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Kenya, Australia and elsewhere. A reminder — if you work in platform policy or safety in a part of the world that doesn’t get the same coverage, I’d love to hear from you.
Remember: if two doses of EiM is too much each week (T&S Insider by Alice Hunsberger on Monday, this round-up on Friday), you can set your EiM newsletter preferences in your Account rather than unsubscribe fully.
Here's everything in moderation from the last seven days — BW
Every phone call tells a story — but not all of them are true. Modulate's VoiceVault uses advanced behavioural voice analysis to detect deception, social engineering, and high-risk emotions in real time. It helps adjusters and support teams spot red flags faster and intervene smarter.
Policies
New and emerging internet policy and online speech regulation
Remember the slow motion crash between US and British/European lawmakers I mentioned in last week’s newsletter (EiM #301) and podcast? Well, it’s likely to come to a head next week when Jim Jordan’s House Judiciary Committee holds a special hearing on "European threats to American free speech". Reform leader Nigel Farage — who vowed to repeal the UK’s Online Safety Act — is a confirmed speaker but Politico notes that former EU speech chief Thierry Breton has, helpfully for him,”not seen the invite”.
High on the agenda will be the legal case being brought by 4chan, Kiwi Farms, and Gab against Ofcom’s enforcement of the UK’s Online Safety Act. In US District Court filings, the platforms argue that the regulator's request to submit risk assessments amounts to an infringement on their Constitutional rights. As you might expect, the US President has been summoned to intervene.
It’s a question that’s been raised before (EiM #282) but is the DSA's Digital Service Co-ordinator system fit for purpose? Following the death of French Kick streamer Jean Pormanove — real name Raphaël Graven — there has been confusion as to which national regime the streaming platform should’ve fallen under. Kick lists a Maltese legal representative but the Malta Communications Authority said it was not notified. The French regulator Arcom is up in arms and Euractiv reports that:
“non-VLOPs can essentially dodge DSA enforcement by keeping national regulators uninformed and discouraging more focused scrutiny.”