We Need to Regulate the Internet

인터넷은 20년 넘게 존재해 왔지만, 스마트폰과 초슬림 이동형 컴퓨터를 통한 극도로 모바일한 생활 방식이 도입되면서 최근에야 비로소 성숙해졌습니다. 이제 우리는 그 어느 때보다 연결되어 있으며, 20년 전에는 이런 상황을 상상조차 할 수 없었습니다.

아무도 이것에 대비하지 못했다.

아무도 인터넷에 대비하지 못했습니다. 2000년대 초반에 컴퓨터와 대화하고 즉각적인 답변을 얻을 수 있을 거라고 예상한 사람은 없었습니다. 우리 정부 중 일부는 막 형성되기 시작했고, 일부 헌법은 비교적 최근에 개정되었습니다. 노키아, 블랙베리, 야후!와 같은 당시 최고의 기업들조차도 그 위치를 유지하지 못했고, 갑자기 우리는 기술 붐에 휩싸이게 되었습니다.

우리 기업들은 인터넷에 대비되지 않았습니다. 우리 정부와 법도 마찬가지입니다. 9/11이 발생했을 때, 그 뒤에 나온 PATRIOT 법안은 대규모 감시와 프라이버시 문제에 대한 많은 허점을 허용했습니다.

우리 학교 대부분은 그렇지 않습니다. 시도하는 학교도 있지만, 검색 가능한 답이 있는 온라인 퀴즈는 좋은 방법이 아닙니다. 학생 단체에 대한 정보 전달은 엉성합니다. 일부는 잘 할 수도 있지만, 다시 말해 대부분은 그렇지 않습니다.

Our families aren’t. No parent knows how to exactly deal with the new generation because this is entirely new. Nobody initially understood that sometimes teachers give out follow ups & homework digitally. Some kids find R18 material over their new iPads.

We need to fight online propaganda.

Our minds aren’t. You know that from the spread of misinformation happening everywhere. People get into things because it has traction. Because it aligns with their current belief system. Because it seems to have a reliable source anyway.

People judge based on headlines, a few characters on a Tweet, and most people won’t open articles because it involves using data that you need to pay for. (see Net Neutrality)

And then you share without reading. In essence, you became a tool for spreading something that we’re unsure of.

That’s a simple way of looking how basic things might work, so look at it large scale. Imagine if a huge entity had the resources and the underground political machinery to fuel internet propaganda by hiring keyboard warriors, elect leaders, push legislation to sign into wars.

The world isn’t ready for the unregulated power of information.

We need to filter out lies. Facebook, Google, Twitter and other huge tech companies need to fix their algorithms. People have to develop an attitude of fact checking. Our government agencies have to push for net neutrality and limit services that are becoming too powerful.

I lift this from one of my previous articles to summarize net neutrality:

If Facebook is free, then the rest should be as well. If 500 MB of Spotify is Php100, then any form of 500MB data should be Php100

No, before you scream censorship, freedom of speech, I must say this isn’t the type of censorship that you’re thinking. We shouldn’t suppress unacceptable forms of media because it’s offensive; we should suppress them because they’re destructive.

It’s up to us to educate the people around us, and at the end of the day, vote for leaders who are well-informed about technology and would listen to its people. Or be the well-informed leaders ourselves.

Regulation is how we’ll fight this. Regulation on our small platforms, and regulation on the macro scale soon.

Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time.

But before we become leaders of information & technology, we must remove any form of cognitive dissonance in us. Let’s block out lies from our platforms, and we need to be platforms for truth.

This isn’t a problem exclusive to my country. This has caused many political upsets in other countries, people who are misinformed about the US Elections, Brexit, the PHL elections, Senate Hearings, killings & even ISIS.

The entire world has to prepare an organization that will regulate the internet.

It’s a far shot, and in the wrong hands, it shall backfire; it only takes one wrong appointment. The agency has to be fully independent & neutral, and should not be in any way connected to the interests of the government, or internet and publishing companies. This way, content and control remains objective & factual. Ultimately, it's a quick fact-checking court for digital content. Movies, literature and other fictional elements should remain untouched.

구성은 꽤 까다로울 것입니다. 선거와 임명이 자격을 의미하지 않기 때문입니다. 우리는 역사와 기술에 정통하고, 경우에 따라 변호사까지도 될 사람들을 필요로 합니다. 다양한 기술 플랫폼에서 소수의 개인으로 구성된 위원회가 조언을 제공해야 하지만, 궁극적으로는 학계 경험이 풍부한 사람들이 많이 포함되어야 합니다. 복잡한 아이디어를 감시할 복잡한 조직을 만드는 것은 어려운 일이며, 이것이 한 가지 방법입니다.

The internet is a platform for all. Let’s not divide it, and hear out the opposite side. Be consistent. Your beliefs are not the only things that matter in this world.

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Do you have other ideas on how we can prevent misinformation? We welcome that in here. Drop us your thoughts.