Social media companies have had to explain to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion how they moderate harmful content on their platforms. But experts say we still don’t know the full picture.
Professor Daniel Angus from the Digital Media Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology told SBS Examines most social media moderation happens behind closed doors.
And under existing legislation in Australia, platforms don’t have any obligation to prevent hateful content.
The platforms are kind of free to do what they want.
Prof Daniel Angus, director of the Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology
The Federal Government has committed to legislating a Digital Duty of Care, which would put the responsibility on social media companies themselves to prevent harmful and hateful content before it starts to spread.
But it’s still being designed, and the Royal Commission has heard the legislation is almost two years away.
In this week’s episode, SBS Examines asks: Whose responsibility is it to prevent hateful content spreading on social media? And can it even be done?
This episode was produced in collaboration with SBS Punjabi.
