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On digital platforms, harmful content such as pornography, violent content, bullying, and harassment are spread. The question of who should prevent the dissemination of this content as well as how to do it is currently a heated topic among the general public. This article will first explore why the negative content should be avoided, followed by a methodical analysis of the best ways for the government, platforms, and individuals to stop the spread of problematic content. This essay believes that the contemporary digital platform needs to analyze the digital platform supervision from the macro, meso and micro perspectives, in other words, the government must toughen penalties, the platform must see itself responsibly, and users must raise their level of network cultural literacy.
Why prevent the spread of these contents
In general, these types of problematic content are not only severely harming the physical and mental health of users, but also affects the stability and harmonious development of society. According to Vasterman (2018), negative content will cause a significant damage to users’ privacy, rights, and mental health because digital users are anonymous, and the network is spreading rapidly and widely. As mainstream media and digital platforms have different objectives, content governance on digital platforms needs to receive more attention than it does with traditional media. Firstly, the traditional mainstream media emphasize timely reporting of issues. AlSayyad and Guvenc (2013) reminded that journalists from the mainstream media will carry out thorough and expert investigations to report on breaking issues. To some extent, this also implies that mainstream media and editors play a dominant role in content delivery, while the audience remains mostly uninvolved and mute. However, the audience’s role has been enhanced by modern digital media, whose primary goals now center on communication and interaction. For instance, Facebook (n.d.) makes the commitment to always uphold the idea of a sharing to provide users with a public space as well as to always be an open platform for ideas and culture. Facebook’s dedication, as the industry leader in social media, demonstrates that on the digital platform, audiences play the role of both receiver and sender. However, the bar for editing is decreased as the audience grows more engaged. (Foucault, 2009). As a result, digital users lack professional awareness cause more negative content is sent. Even worse, some capital will utilize users’ interest and the open nature of the Internet to code negative content in order to make money. Therefore, any platform needs to be under monitoring.
National government governance
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Externally, national regulations should establish relevant requirements and punishment strategies for platform, so that digital media can be supervised like traditional media. For instance, according to Gorwa (2019), Australia has established some necessary regulations for digital platforms, necessitating payments from social media juggernauts like Facebook for the content of their websites. As social media platforms gain popularity, more governments are aware that they can use the law to regulate and restrict the content that is produced by digital platforms. Logically speaking, several government initiatives have demonstrated that the age of the platform’s complete self-regulation is finished. Although the claim made by some that slow-moving governments will stifle innovation on digital platforms, excessive openness will result in a number of moral and societal issues. On one hand, the platform’s hidden exploitation of users is morally wrong as the user will not be paid a wage, but the digital platform will access their privately generated data for algorithm optimization (Pesce, 2018). On the other hand, false and exaggerated news will cause social panic. As in other equally complex domains, the government is therefore obligated to defend its masses. To safeguard the integrity of the information supply chain, the government should first set up a regulating organization. For instance, establishing a new digital democracy bureau, putting strategies into practice that digital companies themselves are unmotivated to do, such as requiring the mandatory disclosure of the authors of offensive content, opening the legal aid channel to assist users in protecting themselves when they are subjected to cyber violence.
The platforms’ self-governance
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Internally, enhancing content audit is the only way to iterate and upgrade the platform-based media algorithm. Numerous audit samples can aid in algorithm error correction and boost market competitiveness. Facebook, for instance, has recognized the value of appropriate self-regulation. The oversight board (FOB) of Facebook consists of 40 impartial international members who assess the platform’s actions and material (Flew et al., 2019). Although there is still some controversy that excessive regulation will make the Internet lose its original meaning, that is, the freedom of speech under the open platform. Digital media, in contrast to traditional media, has thus far been more concerned with the quest of commercial capital. According to Tarleton Gillespie (2018), the goal of digital platforms is also to generate revenue. Platform firms reconcile and generate profits by bringing together buyers and sellers like other multilateral markets. Therefore, it can be claimed that the digital platform’s goal is moderation, and one of the platform’s most fundamental meanings is regulation and governance. Consequently, a platform cannot exist without governance. A platform is nothing without governance.
The power of the just masses
Backlash Over Victoria’s Secret ‘Perfect Body’ Campaign retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqlj3zJqGQ
In fact, under the guidance of a good network culture, users can gather strong, spontaneous forces to supervise the digital platform. In this era of greater capacity and greater responsibility, digital people who have been given more rights should have greater responsibility and courage to maintain the digital environment and reduce negative content and inequality on digital platforms. Firstly, people who have cultivated a strong civic culture can to challenge social and cultural inequity (Butsch, 2009). For instance, in October 2014, numerous protest labels were posted on Facebook and Twitter calling for “Victoria’s Secret” to apologize for its irresponsible advertising after the company defined the “perfect body” as a slim and unrealistic appearance and attempted to promote consumption by escalating body shame. Finally, the advertisement “the perfect body” of Victoria’s Secret was forcibly rectified and removed from the shelves. This social issue demonstrates how the public’s all-encompassing power and strong civic cultural support allow them to achieve more power, which is sufficient to govern the digital platform and even to establish a society that is largely equitable. Hall (2006) underlined that modern audiences are capable of more flexible decoding. Today’s media encourages equal rights because the media landscape is more open, therefore good citizenship can play a role in regulating digital platforms.
Conclusion
In summary, from the macro social level, the government should improve the internet legislative system and mechanism by punishing the negative content and protecting venerable digital masses on the digital platform; Secondly, the media must assume their social responsibility. It must not disseminate rumors without first verifying their authenticity. As a platform serving users, it needs to promise not to infringe on users’ privacy for commercial purposes. Finally, digital users should also improve their media literacy. They should be able to act logically in the face of issues and refrain from following the herd. They shouldn’t utilize the openness of internet to intentionally attack others. They should constantly improve their moral standards.
References
AlSayyad, N., & Guvenc, M. (2013). Virtual Uprisings: On the Interaction of New Social Media, Traditional Media Coverage and Urban Space during the “Arab Spring.” Urban Studies, 52(11), 2018–2034. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098013505881
Butsch, R. (2009). Media and public spheres. Palgrave Macmillan.
“EBS2019 – Strengthening the Online Platform Economy” by europeanbusinesssummit is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Facebook. (n.d.). Facebook Community Standards | Transparency Center. Transparency.fb.com. https://transparency.fb.com/en-gb/policies/community-standards/
Flew, T., Martin, F., & Suzor, N. (2019). Internet regulation as media policy: Rethinking the question of digital communication platform governance. Journal of Digital Media & Policy, 10(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.1386/jdmp.10.1.33_1
Foucault, M. (2009). History of madness. Routledge.
Gorwa, R. (2019). The platfrom governance triangle: conceptualisng the informal regulation of online content Internet Policy Review (Vol. 8(2)). REQUIRED
Hall, S., & Al, E. (2006). Culture, media, language : working papers in cultural studies, 1972-79. Routledge ; [Birmingham.
“men’s formal wear” by thoughtfactory is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Pesce, M. (2018, April 22). The Last Days of Reality. Meanjin. https://meanjin.com.au/essays/the-last-days-of-reality/
Talk, S. (2014). Backlash Over Victoria’s Secret “Perfect Body” Campaign. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqlj3zJqGQ
Tarleton Gillespie. (2018). Custodians of the internet : platforms, content moderation, and the hidden decisions that shape soci. New Haven Yale University Press.
“UNAMA FEATURED PHOTO: 22 June 2014” by UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Vasterman, P. (2018). From Media Hype to Twitter Storm : News Explosions and Their Impact on Issues, Crises and Public Opinion. Amsterdam : Amsterdam University Press.