How to get tech companies to act on fake news and hate speech

(Matt Rourke/AP)

November 3 at 5:33 PM

Regarding the Nov. 1 news article “Tech executives try to placate lawmakers on disclosure”:

The German justice minister, Heiko Maas, has threatened to fine social networks as much as 50 million euros ($53 million) if they fail to give users the option to complain about hate speech and fake news or refuse to remove illegal content. In addition, the first draft of legislation presented would fine individual corporate officials as much as 5 million euros. “We have to increase the pressure on social networks,” Maas told reporters. “Too little illegal content is deleted, it’s not deleted quickly enough, and it looks like the operators of social networks aren’t taking their users seriously enough.” Social networks need to delete or block “obviously illegal” content within 24 hours of it being flagged and other illegal content within seven days.

It’s “sad” that our government doesn’t care enough to actually do something to protect our democracy. “Sad,” too, that our president rarely acknowledges and sometimes dismisses Russian intervention. It’s obvious from the actions of these companies, which dissemble about Russian involvement, that they aren’t really interested in doing something. Perhaps a $50 million fine might get their attention, as it has in Germany?