UK Government – Facebook ‘Needs Regulation’

Facebook ‘Needs’ Regulation

Social media has, to date, been allowed to largely operate without any notable levels of regulation. Well, at least none beyond that which they impose themselves. As concerns are raised for both the news propagation and how they manage our information are raised, however, it seems pretty clear that, sooner or later, something has got to give.

In a report via the BBC, however, the UK Government may be the first to attempt to hold them accountable. Following a Commons Committee, MP’s have overwhelmingly stated that Facebook needs regulation to stop it from spreading fake news.

Fake News

The committee has criticised the platform for the manner in which it has attempted to curb false news stories. They even directly questioned Mark Zuckerberg‘s leadership saying that he failed to show “leadership or [take] personal responsibility”. The report went on to say: “Democracy is at risk from the malicious and relentless targeting of citizens with disinformation and personalised ‘dark adverts’ from unidentifiable sources, delivered through the major social media platforms we use every day.”

What Does Facebook Say?

While not answering any specifics on the report, Facebook has said that they do acknowledge it and are open to “meaningful regulation”. The key factor as I see it, however, is not so much regulation as accountability. Facebook has been allowed to get away with far too much for far too long. In addition, allowing this and other social media platforms to ‘regulate themselves’ simply isn’t working.

If the UK is the first major country to hold them accountable for their actions, then I would applaud their decision. This, quite simply, needs to happen.

What do you think? Does social media need independent regulation? What system would you propose? – Let us know in the comments!