The Select Committee released their report today and you can read their findings here:
Internet 2.0 submission to the Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media
In summary, our philosophical position is that risks to serious national security should be placed ahead of offering free market principles to social media corporations that reside in, originate from, or are leveraged by authoritarian regimes. The data created by social media companies are a finite and valuable asset that is on the frontline of the strategic competition between liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes. Possession of this data allows informational advantage within this strategic competition, especially if used by artificial intelligence and other sophisticated software and intelligence platforms. Social Media companies are the primary producer of this data and social media corporations that reside in, originate from, or are leveraged by authoritarian regimes cannot defend themselves against sophisticated intelligence collection.
If a social media platform must balance the competing needs of both liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes, we are accepting risk to the integrity of our future elections in democracy. The integrity of our social media platforms is now a pillar of democratic elections and must be defended. If we allow authoritarian regimes unfettered access to our social media platforms, we accept serious ongoing risk – given we assess influence and disinformation campaigns against elections will increase.
Finally, because of artificial intelligence we assess time is not on our side to make decisions about these complex policy issues. Artificial intelligence is increasing the effectiveness of influence and disinformation campaigns against elections. When combined with high quality data, we cannot guarantee we can defend ourselves and we will not be able to reverse the loss of trust our system will suffer.
We implore the Parliament to take sound and bipartisan action to defend our citizens’ data against its collection by authoritarian regimes; reduce the risk of digital foreign influence by limiting the access of social media corporations that are leveraged by authoritarian regimes; and regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the media, journalism, and election information.
Malcore was the platform used in all analysis on each social media app.
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To read the interview transcript with David Robinson link below:
