The European Union (EU) has another first to its credit. On Saturday, it unveiled its Digital Services Act, which aims to hold Big Tech firms accountable for hate, fake news, ads for children and other harmful content on their platforms. They should monitor what happens online and submit reports to the authorities on moderation efforts. This EU law follows their Digital Markets Act, which is designed to limit their market power. The union was also the first to enact a digital privacy law to protect the public.
While Elon Musk, who wants to snap up Twitter and lift its current restrictions, and other free speech absolutists may be intimidated by the EU move, it is widely welcome. Words that can harm lives should not be given a free pass. This is misguided freedom. A reasonable limit is needed. In this context, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has done well to caution local broadcasters over the apparently divisive coverage by some news channels of the most recent communal flare-up in Delhi. The excitement of raw passion against better judgment must be stopped globally. To insist that speech can never kill is a cop-out argument. And the hate that went viral hurts all of us.