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Social Media: How Can We Empower Users?

SpeakerS:

Vittoria Elliott, Platformers and Power Reporter, WIRED
Kat Duffy, Senior Fellow for Digital and Cyberspace Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
Louise Turner, Governance Director, Meta
Pamela San Martin, Member, Oversight Board
Thomas Hughes, Director, Oversight Board to Meta’s Llama

With Principal Programming Sponsor

“Regardless of all the questioning and all the things we can say about Meta, if there's one thing that we have to acknowledge is that they did put themselves to be held accountable by a body that is completely independent and that tells them day in and day out where they're doing wrong.” Pamela San Martín
“The impact of the non-binding recommendations that the board makes... is kind of what the board has already been doing in terms of taking its individual decisions and then looking through the wider lens at how it can impact a far greater subset of our users.” Louise Turner
“One of the big things we've seen in the development of trust and safety is that the differential capacity of a company like Meta or Google versus startups is enormous.” Kat Duffy
“The two things are not mutually exclusive, and I think you actually need one to inform the other... you can't effectively mitigate systemic risks unless you're also dealing with the individual cases.” Thomas Hughes

Key takeaways:

  • Collaborative ecosystem for user rights: Addressing systemic risks requires multiple actors, including independent self-regulatory bodies, users, civil society, academics, and regulators to establish standards and accessible mechanisms for user engagement. 
  • Meta Oversight Board established in 2020: Comprising 21 diverse members, the Oversight Board promotes effective global rules for freedom of expression and user safety. Its structured approach can assist smaller companies in developing their own policies. 
  • Shift in regulatory focus needed: Future regulations may need to focus more on product design and systemic issues rather than solely on individual user complaints to effectively address broader risks. 
  • Lack of harmonized standards: There is a need for how emerging regulatory bodies will function in practice to effectively focus on user rights and individual redress. 
  • New legislation is crucial: The impact of new laws and oversight mechanisms depends on their enactment and implementation, as setting clear standards, preventing abuse, ensuring data sharing, and transparent reporting are essential for constructive outcomes.

Action items:

  • Promote diversity in oversight structures: Encourage diversity in oversight boards to ensure global policies are adapted effectively across different regions, supporting freedom of expression and user safety.
    • Utilize oversight board guidance: Startups and innovators can leverage the Oversight Board’s decisions and reasoning to build rights-respecting products from the ground up.
  • Foster collaboration among stakeholders: Platforms, regulators, civil society, and users should collaborate to address systemic risks and develop effective governance structures.
  • Develop harmonized regulatory standards: Advocate for creating harmonized standards in emerging regulatory bodies to ensure they protect user rights and provide accessible redress mechanisms.
  • Shift regulatory focus to systemic risks: Encourage regulators to focus on systemic risks and product design choices rather than solely on individual user complaints.
  • Ensure transparency and prevent abuse: Promote the inclusion of provisions in legislation that ensure transparency, data sharing, and prevent abuse of oversight mechanisms.
  • Support platforms in balancing resources: Recognize challenges platforms face in balancing compliance and trust and safety efforts, and explore ways to support investment in user empowerment initiatives.

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