The 'cost' of slow moderation, #SkinnyTok finally banned and Musk gets check mated
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.
Week in Review is back after a two-week hiatus while I became a dad. My brilliant wife is doing well, and so is our little boy. I have a lot of thoughts about the intensity of the last few weeks but I'll save them for a more suitable medium — and when I've had a bit more sleep. For now, I'll just say thanks to everyone who messaged with well wishes and who subscribed to EiM in the meantime.
T&S Insider, written by the brilliant Alice Hunsberger, continued in my absence and I urge you to have a read her thoughts on moderator wellbeing and what AI is doing to the T&S job market. Likewise, Mike has had two stellar guests on Ctrl-Alt-Speech while I've been learning to change nappies/diapers. Have a listen.
I'm not yet fully back up to speed but here's my best, bleary-eyed attempt at summing up everything in moderation from the last seven days — BW
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Policies
New and emerging internet policy and online speech regulation
We start with a story from last week now but a notable one: the Digital Services Act has launched a formal investigation into Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos for tailing to prevent underage access to explicit content. It comes months after Pornhub and Stripchat sought to challenge their status as a Very Large Online Platform (although I can’t find the outcome of that appeal?).
Easy target?: Due to broad public support for their regulation, porn sites have become a focus for nascent regulatory regimes seeking to build momentum. Earlier this year, Ofcom announced it had opened an investigation into two sites that failed to lay out age assurance plans and on Wednesday, new French rules led to Pornhub suspending access to users in its second largest market.
With the US State Department announcing visa restrictions for “foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States”, I wonder how long it will be before an Online Safety Act-supporting MP or an elected official with pro-Digital Services Act views is prevented from entering the US? Politico suggested that Marco Rubio had one particular Brazilian in mind when he came up with the new rules. Either way, it’s yet another reason for non US citizens to not travel stateside for the foreseeable.