Internet users beware

With new European legislation, changes are coming that will interest you

 Posted on May 31, 2021  |  6 minutes  |  1136 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

With the current pandemic, the time we spend on the Internet has increased. Every day, we are on social networks or we use one of the thousands of on-line services, such as on-line market places or file sharing platforms. Anyway, the main legislation setting the rules in this area has remained mostly unchanged for more than two decades. The Digital Services Act should help us to face the challenges of the present. [Read More]
content moderation  COVID-19  Digital Services Act  disinformation  hate speech  notice and action 

Leaked Commission's plan on artificial intelligence

Four significant gaps

 Posted on April 20, 2021  |  6 minutes  |  1258 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The proposal of the Regulation on the European Approach for Artificial Intelligence was not to be published until April 21. However, last week, Politico published a leak of a regulation draft. Therefore, we can look at it under scrutiny now and analyze the key points that need to be changed. What is going on? The new legal framework should be given to artificial intelligence (AI). Although its use brings many benefits to the society; on the other hand, risks and threats as well. [Read More]
Artificial Intelligence  censorship  content moderation  FOSS  Free Software  open technologies  Open Source  transparency 

The Internet needs a fundamental change

What will the new rules bring?

 Posted on March 10, 2021  |  3 minutes  |  432 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The digital space in Europe has remained the same since the beginning of the new millennium. In the meantime, a number of services have appeared to help us find information, watch videos, keep in touch with friends, or find the partner of our dreams. Words such as algorithms, targeted advertising, personal data protection, or communication encryption are increasingly seeping into public space. Politicians, experts, academics, and the public call for regulation of dominant platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. [Read More]
censorship  content moderation  cyber security  Digital Services Act  Digital Markets Act 

Greens/EFA proposal for Notice and Action

 Posted on December 15, 2020  |  3 minutes  |  627 words  |  Marcel Kolaja

What is the aim of our proposal? The Internet is an empowering tool that allows us to communicate globally, meet each other, build networks, join forces, access information and culture, and express and spread political opinions. Unfortunately, platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok filter and moderate with a lot of collateral damage: too often, hateful content—especially targeting minority groups—remains on-line. On the other hand, legitimate posts, videos, accounts, and ads are removed, and the platforms make it difficult to contest. [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech  notice and action 

Digital Services Act

My amendments to the Saliba draft report

 Posted on May 23, 2020  |  1 minutes  |  211 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

In my previous blog post, I analyzed the new Digital Services Act draft report from Alex Agius Saliba, which will serve as one of the main reports for the Parliament opinion on the future Internet regulation governing platforms behavior towards illegal content on-line. Last week, I filed amendments (1, 2) in order to remedy the problems with the report. Anything new? While correcting the issues mentioned in my previous post, I also included some new additions: [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech  interoperability 

Parliament's voice in shaping the future Internet regulation

Loud and clear on the Digital Services Act

 Posted on May 20, 2020  |  4 minutes  |  782 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The Digital Services Act is expected to be one of the most important pieces of legislation in this parliamentary term, enhancing the liability and safety regime of Internet platforms, services, and on-line marketplaces. Since the recovery plan of the European economy after COVID-19 crisis stands on two pillars—the Green New Deal and digitization—the urgent necessity to draft this act just right is our major task for the following months. This legislation will update the 2000s Directive on Electronic Commerce, which defined levels of protection of rights and freedoms on-line and how intermediaries—such as social media or search engines—govern users activities on their platforms. [Read More]
COVID-19  content moderation  Digital Services Act  interoperability  notice and action 

Lessons learned from the Avia law

Warning: French on-line hate speech law to be adopted tomorrow!

 Posted on May 12, 2020  |  3 minutes  |  562 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs, de

While the European Union is about to start the process leading to the adoption of the Digital Services Act, a.k.a. the future Internet regulation, France—as one of the most powerful countries in the Council—proceeds with its own legislation. On May 13, the French Avia law governing platforms conduct regarding hate speech on-line, shall get adopted in the final reading. The text has been voted previously in the Assemblée Nationale. The original text The draft law, as originally proposed and notified to the Commission, introduces extremely strict rules on on-line platforms (i. [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  hate speech 

The future of Internet regulation

My thoughts on the position of the European Parliament

 Posted on April 30, 2020  |  4 minutes  |  662 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

The next upcoming legislation reforming fundamental rules governing the Internet in Europe is the Digital Services Act. It will impact platforms behavior when it comes to tackling hateful speech, unsafe products, or to decide if we will finally be able to use other social networks and talk to our friends on major social networks. Digital Services Act in the European Parliament The European Parliament is currently drafting several reports in order to give political guidance on what the future reform should include. [Read More]
content moderation  Digital Services Act  interoperability  notice and action 

Censorship machine in action again!

 Posted on March 26, 2020  |  2 minutes  |  363 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

What happened? Last week, a couple of legitimate news articles and posts about COVID-19 disappeared from Facebook. My Facebook post raising awareness about the Union’s support for start-ups to fight COVID-19 got also caught up in this. Application for funds that were made available to support start-ups able to produce solution that could fight the virus was originally open until March 18, 2020. In an attempt to spread the news to all potential interested parties, several followers of mine notified me that they weren’t able to share my post raising awareness about this or links to Commission’s website. [Read More]
Artificial Intelligence  censorship  content moderation  COVID-19  Digital Services Act  TERREG 

Artificial Intelligence

The future European approach

 Posted on February 19, 2020  |  5 minutes  |  877 words  |  Marcel Kolaja  • Other languages: cs

On February 19, the Commission presented its white paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI): a European approach to excellence and trust. As previously explained on my blog, the topic is not merely a techy issue, but already impacts the life of many of us, be it applying for a job, ordering food, or content moderation software, etc. The proposal is open for consultation for any interested stakeholder or individual. The deadline for your remarks is May 19, 2020, in case you’d like to comment on it. [Read More]
Artificial Intelligence  censorship  content moderation  facial recognition