Tech Platforms May Get a 5-Person Federal Watchdog Group

Sen. Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado introduced a bill last week that would establish a new five-person commission to protect people against tech platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, that facilitate interactions among users. Called thee Digital Platform Commission Act, the potential federal agency can set new rules that govern how transparent tech giants are about content moderation on their platforms—while having the authority to interrogate and cut back algorithmic processes that are deemed to be unsafe. Violations risk hefty fines of 15% of the global annual revenue of the digital platform in question. Under the legislation, social media platforms will be mandated to carry regular public risk assessments about the hateful or violent content circulating across their platforms. The main idea of the bill is to protect people from the “deceptive and abusive practices that are sometimes committed on digital platforms,” said David O. Klein, managing partner at internet marketing and consumer-privacy firm Klein Moynihan Turco. “If and when [the bill] goes into effect, lots is going to change,” he added. Regulators' current clutch of cases against big tech platforms doesn’t fully focus on the consequences of social media on society, like impacts on mental health—reflected in The Facebook Files—and proliferating misinformation. The recent Buffalo shooting focused attention on the role of gaming platform Twitch, which the gunman used to broadcast the massacre, and has led to calls for tighter regulation on social media platforms. While it’s too soon to predict how the bill will impact advertisers, it’s a reflection of how slow regulators and lawmakers are when it comes to examining Silicon Valley behemoths. More power to consumers Under this legislation, any person who feels that a digital platform has damaged or harmed them can make a complaint with the commission. Alternatively, people can bring in a civil action, or a non-criminal lawsuit, to petition enforcement of any provisions under the act—after which, the platform will have an opportunity to address the complaint. If it does so adequately, charges of violation will be dropped. If not, the commission will investigate the complaint and enforce digital platforms to pay if it finds it in violation of rules. A three-fold agenda to keep platforms in check Bennet’s proposed five-person commission has a three-fold agenda to promote the public interest, encourage competition—which is beneficial to local news outlets that have suffered from the monopoly of digital gatekeepers—and assure the fairness and safety regarding algorithms on digital platforms. The commission members would be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate and will be staffed with experts in computer science, software developments and tech policy background—along with third-party researchers of public interest expertise. The EU Takes Another Jab at Big Tech With Flagship Digital Markets Act The commission will also establish an 18-member code council to propose technical standards and other policies for digital platforms. The body will have huge budgets, according to Klein. The initial budget is expected to be $100 million in its first year and this will grow to $500 million in the next five years. However, “there’s a low likelihood that the bill will pass because the present Senate Republicans, which is nearly 50% of the Senate, tend to vote against such agencies,” said Klein, who anticipates strong lobbying on both sides of the bill, causing a delay as it awaits a vote in the Senate.