Did you know it’s illegal to knowingly broadcast false information about a catastrophe, especially if such communications may cause substantial “public harm?”
Public harm includes direct & actual damages to people or property & the diversion of law enforcement or public health & safety authorities from their duties.
Link to FCC rules on FALSE INFORMATION/BROADCAST HOAXES https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/guides/hoaxes
But Elon Musk & X are not regulated by the FCC. So, HOW DO WE STOP THIS?
Make it illegal, just like we did for broadcast TV and radio.
I know that the internet is not subject to the same laws as broadcast radio & TV. But we can create them.
We can use the same criteria that the FCC uses, which will protect people who spread the false information unintentionally. But to just ignore it is to abdicate the need to protect people during this vulnerable time.
Dash, on Mastodon pointed out some of the reasons why Musk is getting away with this. He also understood that it’s a call for a change
@CatDragon @spocko because the internet isn’t subject to the same laws as broadcast tv (so he isn’t breaking the law). And republicans won’t agree to any additional regulations, particularly when they benefit from spreading disinformation themselves.
Also Dash wrote:
social media companies aren’t broadcasters though (according to the government). The law won’t apply to them.I think this post is meant to encourage us to consider lobbying for a change in how internet companies are regulated. And I agree with that initiative.
@dashrb@awscommunity.social
Make knowingly spreading false information on social media illegal, just like we did for broadcast TV and radio.
I know a lot about FCC law and what is and is not enforced. I also know that the broadcast radio & TV companies spent a lot of time and money to weaken the regulations, but also to protect themselves from fines and possibly losing licenses. For example they implementes 7 second delays, they file appeals for accidents they could not control. They fire people who are repeat offenders.
We might mock the obscenity restrictions on broadcast radio and TV now, but at the time enough people decided it was a problem, and took steps to limit it.
Public harm following people knowingly posting false information has already happened. In a catastrophe “the diversion of law enforcement or public health & safety authorities from their duties.” can lead to “direct & actual damages to people or property.”
We know the social media companies will do & say whatever they can to avoid being held responsible for what is said on their platforms.
Musk will go on about “free speech” but knowingly posting false information in this situation does not contribute to the “marketplace of ideas.” It’s a condemnable act, and it should be made criminal.
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