The UN OHCHR official shared her views on freedom of speech, social media companies, and online content regulations around the world including India's IT Rules. "State regulation, if done precipitously, sloppily, or with ill intent, can easily consolidate undemocratic and discriminatory approaches that limit free speech, suppress dissent, and undermine a variety of other rights," Peggy Hicks of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office said in a press conference on July 14. Here are the UN's views on what is wrong with the current regulations on online content and how can better regulations be made. What are the current challenges to freedom of speech online? Unwelcoming and unsafe: "We have the same rights online as offline. But when we look at the online landscape and we see a digital world that is unwelcoming and frequently unsafe for people trying to exercise their rights," Hicks said. Reach and speed: While the offline space has also faced similar challenges, "what is new is the reach and speed of this digital public square," Hicks said. Situation made worse by governments and companies: Notwithstanding the challenges that we already face online, responses from governments and social media companies "risk making the situation worse" Hicks said, citing examples of countries like India, Nigeria, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. "Discussions on how to address lawful but awful speech online tend to devolve into finger-pointing between states and companies with political and economic interests often eclipsing public interests," she added. Why are current regulations making the situation worse? "There…
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