Bishops take aim at Facebook, Google and Twitter

Thursday, September 5th, 2019

Australia’s Catholic bishops say tech giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter put profits before people.

In their view, the companies should be fined for spreading fake news and offensive content.

The conference points out that social media platforms’ core business is to sell advertising and maximise profits.

The bishops want greater regulation of digital platforms and coordinated efforts by governments around the world to achieve this.

In particular, they want users’ personal data to be protected and basic standards that cannot be undermined by a drive for profit and market domination.

The viral spread of fake news, half-truths, lies and slander must also be addressed, the bishops’ conference says.

“Our right to truthful information and trustworthy broadcasting requires greater regulation of digital platforms, with sanctions for the spread of fake, divisive and offensive content.

“Governments have a responsibility to support robust and independent journalism, particularly through the public broadcaster.”

Far too often, the digital world has become a place of hatred, the bishops note.

“Pushing users to more extreme positions and promoting fake news and conspiracy theories sells. But this is at odds with human solidarity.”

The bishops also say the digital community is falling prey to automated programmes.

These include the Twitter ‘bots’ that disseminated misinformation during the 2016 United States election.

“In an industry that is facing a growing backlash over the real impact of disinformation, electoral interference and data misuse, it is apparent to many that social media networks need some form of government accountability.

“Unfortunately, some nation states are doing the opposite …”

The bishops cited the Christchurch mosque massacre which was broadcast on social media, saying “it becomes clearer that these platforms need to be held to account.

“Just as we would not accept a highway built of rubble that leads us nowhere we want to go, so too we cannot accept a digital world designed to exploit our weaknesses and bring out the worst in people,” the bishops say.