Regulatory approaches to social media

Abstract

Social media platforms are mainly characterised by private regulation.2 However, their direct and indirect impact on society has become such (fake news, hate speech, incitement to terrorism, data protection breaches, impact on the viability of professional journalism) that private regulatory mechanisms in place (often opaque and not transparent) seem to be inadequate. In my presentation, I would first address the problem of legal classification of these services (media service provider vs. intermediary service provider), since the answer to this question is a prerequisite for any state intervention. I would then present the regulatory initiatives (with a critical approach) at EU and national level which might shape the future of ’social media platform’ regulation.