The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
During the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, and the early decades of the 20th century, U.S. captains of industry such as William Randolph Hearst and Jay Gould used their massive wealth to dominate facets of the economy, including the news media. They were, in many ways, prototype oligarchs – by the dictionary definition, “very rich business leaders with a great deal of political influence.” Continue reading
News that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is buying Twitter has sent the world into a spin, dividing those who advocate for unfettered free speech – like Musk – and those who believe that some platforms wield too much power and influence. But the ultimate outcome for Twitter may depend heavily on social media regulation. Continue reading
There is broad consensus that a greater degree of regulation of online content is necessary, but the aims of the proposed new Online Safety Bill in the UK could be undermined by a lack of clarity over the way the legislation is to be implemented and enforced. Continue reading
Elon Musk is the planet’s number one billionaire. If anyone can turn cyberspace into a heaven – or hell – of free speech “absolutism” via a US$44 billion (£35 billion) Twitter takeover, then surely he’s the man. Right? Continue reading
Referred to by some as Facebook’s “supreme court”, the oversight board tasked with reversing or upholding Facebook’s content moderation decisions has ruled that the social media company’s ban of Donald Trump should be maintained. Continue reading
Twitter has been in the news a lot lately, albeit for the wrong reasons. Its stock growth has languished and the platform itself has largely remained the same since its founding in 2006. On April 14, 2022, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, made an offer to buy Twitter and take the public company private. Continue reading
On 17 March 2022, the Government finally published the Online Safety Bill, which will now make its way through Parliament – with the expectation that it will ultimately become law. Continue reading
A report from the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom confirms children are avid social media users. Some 99% of children aged three to 17 used the internet in 2021. YouTube was the most popular platform, with 89% of children using it. Meanwhile, half of kids used TikTok, a popular site which allows users to watch and share short videos. Continue reading
The Online Safety Bill [pdf] (OSB) is a gorilla of a thing, comprising 213 pages, plus explanatory notes, impact assessment and human rights statement. It will take a while for people to understand how the regime introduced by the OSB is likely to work. Continue reading
The UK government’s much anticipated online safety bill has now been released. The bill seeks to impose a duty of care on companies, such as social media platforms, to remove illegal content, and in some cases, “legal but harmful” content, quickly. Failure to comply will result in heavy fines or, in extreme circumstances, company executives facing prosecution. Yet what is considered “legal but harmful” content remains unclear. Continue reading
© 2026 Inforrm's Blog
Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑