Regulators finally act, AI models shift and platforms scramble
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.
What a frantic 24 hours. This time yesterday, none of us had any inkling about the H1-B visa bombshell for T&S workers (see Posts of the week). Then, just before I hit schedule on today's newsletters, the European Commission announced a chunky fine for X/Twitter for a breach of the Digital Services Act. Phew.
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Policies
New and emerging internet policy and online speech regulation
Ofcom this week issued a £1 million fine to a pornography company for failing to implement adequate age checks, in what will be seen as a win of the Online Safety Act’s enforcement muscle. AVS Group Ltd, which runs 18 adult sites, will face a further daily £1000 penalty unless it fails to implement what the regulator calls “highly effective age assurance” by Monday.
The plot thickens: However, a BBC report suggests AVS Group Ltd may be part of a complex web of companies, some of which appeared in the 2016 global investigation known as the Panama Papers. The concern, according to the BBC’s technology editor, is AVS may not even know it has been fined.
Australia’s online safety regulators has said it will be “watching the migratory patterns” of teen users to smaller platforms ahead of next Wednesday’s under-16 social media ban deadline (EiM #273). According to Crikey, some of the 10 big platforms aren't happy that fast-growing apps like RedNote, Lemon8, Yubo and Bluesky aren't covered by the ban. But eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said it had been in touch with them to make them aware of their responsibilities.
Better the devil you know? As I highlighted in this week’s Ctrl-Alt-Speech, some of these alternative social platforms have less than basic T&S provisions in their terms and conditions. In one case, users are asked to email a generic email address to report impersonation. Can’t see that going well.