From tech companies pledging to step up measures against hate speech in the EU to amendments to cybercrime law in Pakistan, here’s everything we covered at Digital Rights Monitor (DRM) this week.
Read our weekly news roundup.
US: TikTok restoring services following Trump’s support
TikTok has started restoring its services across the United States (US) after Donald Trump, whose presidential inauguration will take place today, pledged to keep the platform available.
Trump made these remarks at a rally held on Sunday. “Frankly, we have no choice,” Trump said, as quoted by Reuters. “We have to save it.”
Access to the short-video platform was blocked for users on Sunday in the US. However, following Trump’s announcement, users started reporting that TikTok’s website had begun working, though the app remained unavailable for download on the app stores.
TikTok, too, confirmed restoring its services, and expressed gratitude to Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive”.
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EU: Tech companies to step up measures against hate speech
Leading tech companies have agreed to step up measures to counter hate speech on their social media platforms, according to the European Commission.
The announcement, which came on Monday, suggests that an updated code of conduct will be incorporated in the European Union’s (EU) tech regulations. The voluntary code was first set up in May 2016.
The platforms that have pledged to do more against hate speech include Meta’s Facebook, X, and Google’s YouTube. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and more platforms are among the signatories as well.
“In Europe there is no place for illegal hate, either offline or online,” EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. “I welcome the stakeholders’ commitment to a strengthened Code of conduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA).”
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US: Snapchat’s AI chatbot accused of harming young users
Snapchat’s AI chatbot has been accused of harming young users by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the United States (US), according to an official statement.
The regulator forwarded its complaint against Snapchat to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) last week. The FTC, which is the leading consumer protection watchdog in the US, did not release any details on the matter.
It stated, however, that taking the complaint to the DOJ was in the interest of the public.
Due to the lack of details, it cannot be known how Snapchat’s artificial intelligence chatbot — known as My AI — harms young users.
PAKISTAN: Changes proposed to cybercrime law
A bill was presented on Wednesday in the National Assembly (NA) to amend the country’s cybercrime law, known as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, according to a report by Dawn.com.
The proposed changes include a three-year jail term for spreading disinformation and the dissolution of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing to create a new investigation authority. In addition, a new agency with the ability to partially or completely block social media content or platforms will be established.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar put forward the proposed changes on the interior minister’s behalf. The PECA (Amendment) Bill will be discussed today by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior.
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