A good knee-jerk reaction is only worth doing if it’s quick enough, especially in election season (which, to be fair, is every second year in Australia);
Media bosses face jail over sharing content.
Hasty legislation is so very tempting to those in power as they feel under pressure to be seen to be doing something, anything, in the wake of exceptional or unique events.
The Australian government is therefore making noises about introducing legislation enabling the prosecution of the leaders of technology companies on whose platforms the video footage of the Christchurch murderer’s crimes were shared should similar situations occur in the future.
Our confirmation biases trick us into thinking there is merit with this approach. There are multiple problems with what has been proposed in this thought bubble of a policy description however. Let’s list them and see if you agree:
1. Opportunity cost – given finite resources of time, money and personnel, is this the best and most urgent response the legislators and law enforcement authorities can take to minimise the risk similar murderous violence doesn’t re-occur? I say “minimise the risk” because, despite what anyone would like to think, there is no palatable way to completely prevent murders occurring. The shooter was hiding in plain sight on various internet discussion forums, perhaps some more diligence on behalf of those tasked with crime prevention might be the better priority?
2. Legislation requiring innovation – a law that would deliver jail time to the CEO of Facebook Australia for hosting a snuff movie is, in effect, demanding the company either throw thousands of content moderators at the problem 24×7 OR they invent 100% foolproof algorithms to automatically remove the content the moment it is uploaded. Neither of which is particularly likely, which brings us to problem #3….
3. The law of unintended consequences – the CEO will be extremely motivated to remain at liberty and without a criminal record, therefore they will scale back their content and offering to the Australian market. 99.9999% of livestream content breaks no law, yet faced with the risk of jail, an intelligent CEO is going to simply pull that functionality and content from the Australia IP addresses. Worse, the risk to the CEO has still not gone away due to problem #4…..
4. Virtual Private Networks – VPNs are cheap and easily procured. If content is blocked in Australia, it’s likely users could hop on to a VPN and spoof their location to a different geography and see it anyway. Anyone who enjoys using torrent services that are geo-blocked in Australia already knows this. Faced with this risk, perhaps the tech companies would withdraw or scale back their Australian office footprint?
5. Who defines what content is banned? – if we were to legislate against “dangerous” content, hasty legislation would be a mistake. The definition of what is to be banned is going to require significant discussion and debate, followed up with extreme legal scrutiny to ensure the legislation is unambiguous and not simply providing a censor’s charter to a future government.
Bill’s Opinion
In a crisis, people revert to what they know. Politicians know how to announce and create rapid, ambiguous legislation that satisfies the expediency of being seen to act but fails the test of sustainability and desirability over the long term.
Expect more of this.
Also expect legislation to make subscription to a VPN illegal once someone explains their use to the politicians.
Can’t comment on this until I get over the warm feeling brought on by the thought of a few Facebook executives in jail.
The most effective way is to make the law retrospective to the beginning of the year.
Then jail the executives of Facebook. I get all warm & fuzzy just thinking about it.
Yes, but we’re talking the CEO of, say, Facebook Australia. I don’t know their name and I bet they have no authority beyond a marketing budget.
The standard they walk past, or turn a blind eye to, is the standard they accept.
I’ve no sympathy for them, & would sleep better tonight knowing ANY Facebook/Google/etc. executive was looking at a criminal record & time doing porridge.
The criminalising of mundane management lapses has caught plenty of small business operators, I’ve no fucking sympathy whatsoever for the big end of town. Suits have been walking away from their mistakes forever. (Just quit & get another job scot-free, while the company has several years of litigation & millions in costs)
That’s beside the point though – which is such action would lead to social media being pretty much dead except for “Hello Gran” & “Merry Christmas to my family”
I totally agree with your point, & your post.
I’ll go further. The criminalising of sharing of the whacko’s manifesto, & of the livestream (as sick as it was) should never be. Disgusting yes, criminal no, & censored? Not ever!
Happens now, after years of watching our koranic brethren using people’s heads as footballs, only now do we get threatened with Stasi-grade suppression.
Right. I’m clear on the direction the wind is blowing.
9/11 – by the same yardstick – should be erased from our minds.
Vision of both the airliners – but especially the second – crashing into the skyscrapers was carried on just about every television network in the world.
Is Scott Morrison going to jail the executives of every TV network for carrying that footage?
In a couple of years we’ll be having the 20th anniversary of the attacks.
…. going to be a rather bland 20th anniversary, without any footage of the attacks or the destruction.
.. over to you Slomo…
Quite.
That’s my point on definitions. Best of luck policing the standard you set….
Heh!