There should be self-regulation on the Internet

Internet content is a challenge of the global world that must be self-regulated to avoid hate speech, discrimination, and disinformation and, at the same time, must be maintained as an exercise of rights and freedoms, said experts at the International Seminar "Moderation of Internet Content", organized by the Institute of Legal Research (IIJ) of the UNAM and the Association of Internet MX (AIMX).

"On this issue, there must be prevention and collaboration, attention and social proximity," recommended the commissioner of the National Guard, Oliver González Barrales, who recalled that in cybercrime the evidence is in the hands of third parties, who provide access to the network; without evidence the exercise of justice is complicated.

During Roundtable 2: Role of Internet intermediaries and users: freedom of expression, hate speech, discrimination and disinformation, Íñigo Fernández Baptista, from Facebook, pointed out: 1.73 billion people participate in this social network and they work to reduce abuse, as they remove harmful content and derogatory language. He stated to continue with the third-party verifiers to have better practices and respect for individual guarantees.

In turn, Angélica Contreras, from the Asociación Cultivando Género, said that content moderation has to be seen from a stakeholder approach and include the actors who must work on these issues, as there is no neutrality. Martha Tudón Maldonado, from the organization Artículo 19, said: Although internet spaces are owned by private companies, they become an exercise of rights and freedoms, which is why the centralized moderation of content affects vulnerable populations.

In this sense, Gustavo Gómez Germano, from Observacom, criticized that this moderation is done by a single actor, the transnational companies that affect the free and open Internet, and emphasized that currently there are opaque rules and censorship. Eleonora Rabinovich, from Google, considered that the Internet can enhance guarantees and emphasized that companies must be flexible and have self-regulation.

Digital commerce

During Roundtable 3, entitled "Internet intermediaries, innovation and digital future: Where are we going?", moderated by Nuria González Martín, from the IIJ, Cindy Rayo Zapata, from the Ministry of Economy, highlighted the importance of developing more regulatory frameworks in Mexico to promote small companies in regional e-commerce. She recalled that the Treaty between Mexico, the United States, and Canada (T-MEC) has a section that specifies the importance of digital platforms for growth in this area.

For Anahiby Becerril Gil, from the postgraduate course in Law at UNAM, it is an enabler for small businesses, but cybersecurity must be respected with caution so that barriers are not imposed on rights such as freedom of expression. Javier Juárez Mojica, from the Federal Institute of Telecommunications, considered that it is an opportunity that facilitates exchanges of digital services and could be a trigger for Mexico to become an exporter of these, although there is a lack of greater infrastructure for connectivity.

Raúl Echeberría, head of the Latin American Internet Association (ALAI), said that there are 500 million Internet users in North America, so the agreement is advanced with e-commerce clauses. Joan Barata, from Stanford Law School, expressed that our country has the opportunity to incorporate in its legal framework a principle of regulation of network platforms, but it should be staggered, with self-regulation to improve competition.

Finally, Christian O'Flaherty, from the Internet Society, called for an increase in digital commerce and the creation of a favorable environment in this ecosystem to innovate and involve all parties.