KUALA LUMPUR: Collective action among nations is vital to establish laws and regulations that address online harm, which has become increasingly disruptive to everyday life with the rise of social media.
Prof Taylor Owen from McGill University in Canada said while every country faces different challenges in addressing the issue, they all contend with similar threats as users from various segments of society rely heavily on social media for their daily information.
"We all face similar harm online and I think there are some commonalities in the solutions and policies that should be put in place.
"However, the specific differences among countries require careful domestic conversations and debates to shape these policies," he said during the 2024 International Legal Conference on Online Harms.
Owen delivered a lecture titled "Canadian and International Model for Online Harms Governance” during the second day of the conference on Friday (Sept 6).
Owen also pointed out that countries where social media providers operate should collaborate and establish similar regulatory laws, ensuring compliance from these companies.
"The platforms and companies in question operate globally, often beyond the reach of international jurisdictions. It is the collective responsibility of governments to determine the rules to be imposed on these companies.
"If we learn from each other and enforce similar rules, we have a higher chance of corporate compliance," he said.
Owen also highlighted that social media regulations should be uniformly enforced across all digital platforms, regardless of the country of origin of the companies.
"This is an argument to regulate all digital companies, regardless of where they come from. There is a need to impose the same rules on all of them. I don't care if WeChat or Instagram operates in Canada, both have to follow our rules," he said.
Another speaker, former Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, emphasised the need for social media companies to have a legal representative in every country where they operate.
She argued that this would ensure that concerns raised by users or governments are effectively communicated to the company's top management.
She highlighted the crisis in Myanmar, which she claimed was exacerbated by an information operation.
"At that time, Facebook had only one representative who could speak Burmese and that individual did not have access to provide information and feedback to the top management at that time.
"Hiring one legal representative in each country would ensure that these companies actually listen to local concerns. I believe there must be a formalised channel for communication," Haugen added. – Bernama
