social media

European consumer organization files complaint against social media platforms over misleading promotion

The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) filed a complaint with the European Commission and consumer authorities against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter. It alleges that these platforms facilitate the ‘misleading’ promotion of cryptocurrencies. In BEUC’s report, titled ‘Hype or harm? The great social media crypto con’ accused social media platforms of using ads and influencers to promote cryptocurrencies, which they deemed an ‘unfair commercial practice’ that puts investors at risk of losses.

Emphasizing the importance of enforcing strict rules on digital asset advertising on social media and preventing influencers from misleading the public, the organization urged the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network to take action in this regard. BEUC also wants the European Commission to assess consumer protection on social media and promote cooperation between consumer groups and the European Supervisory Authorities to protect consumers from misleading promotions of digital assets.

Additionally, BEUC stated that neither the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) nor the Digital Services Act (DSA) offers sufficient consumer protection. The complaint was filed with the support of consumer groups in several European countries.

China’s cyberspace regulator cracks down on fake social media accounts

China’s cyberspace regulator has recently closed over 100,000 online accounts that were spreading false news and rumours about news anchors and media agencies to ‘clean up the internet’. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has started a campaign to sieve out social media accounts that pretend to be state-controlled media and spread ‘fake news’.

The CAC discovered accounts that utilised AI to imitate ‘authoritative’ news media and create fake news studios and presenters to mislead the public. The regulator has deleted 107,000 accounts and 835,000 pieces of fake news from counterfeit news units and anchors since 6 April.

The regulator asserted that it would provide guidance to online platforms in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the majority of internet users to get accurate news. The regulator also encourages users to report fake news and news anchors by providing leads.

The government implements strict measures to remove internet content and language that it considers unsuitable, offensive, or harmful to the public and businesses. Such a crackdown can be contextualised as a larger part of a global effort to combat the spread of fake news, with many countries implementing laws to punish those who spread it.

British Army’s social media accounts were hacked

British Army’s Twitter and YouTube accounts were hacked. The name of the Army’s Twitter account was changed, while videos on cryptocurrency, and posts related to NFTs appeared on their feed. The British Army stated there is no evidence as to who may be behind the hacking of the accounts. The accounts were restored to normal while investigations regarding the hacks are still ongoing. Army’s spokesperson stated that there will not be any further comments on the incident until the investigation is complete.

Coalition of 45 rights organisations decries new Bangladesh draft rules

Forty-five international organisations signed a communication to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) urging them to withdraw or reconsider proposed regulations for digital media, social media, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. The draft is dated October 2021 but was published on 6 February 2022. Stating that ‘The Draft Regulations seek to implement a content governance framework devoid of adequate judicial oversight, clarity and predictability, and integration of human rights and due process,’ the letter details eleven initial key concerns that require discussion.