The final speaker in this session at the Weizenbaum Conference is Maysa Amer, whose focus is on platform governance especially in Egypt. Platform governance has been variously approached through self-regulation (in the US), through a citizen rights-centric regulation (in the EU), or through state-led regulation (in China); how is it approached in Egypt, however?
Since the Arab Spring, which served as a substantial disruption of established governance models, Egypt has increased its regulation for digital technologies; new media laws and digital protection regulations also addressed mis- and disinformation, but in doing so also created mechanisms for targeting critical civic actors for allegedly spreading ‘fake news’.
This means that it is crucial to understand the power dynamics between the stakeholders in such policy-making. This must capture both visible and invisible power. Maysa explored this through a document analysis of policy and news materials, as well as in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders where possible.
The current regulatory model positions the Supreme Council for Media Regulations as the central authority; this has power both over media outlets and personal social media accounts with more than 5,000 followers, and can order such accounts to be taken down. While some such regulations were adapted from European regulatory frameworks, this enables these ‘fake news’ laws to be used for political repression, too.
The laws create a conditional collaborative approach between the state and the platforms; the state has direct, visible power to intervene and force the removal of any content it deems to be problematic.
