Platform Regulation Should Focus on Transparency, Not Content

Despite efforts by digital platforms to curb the tsunami of disinformation surrounding U.S. elections, cyberspace remains awash in conspiracy theories and democracy-damaging disinformation. Meanwhile, terrorist attacks in France and Austria have spurred European efforts to clamp down on hatred and incitement to violence online. On Dec. 15, the European Commission is slated to release a draft set of comprehensive platform regulations. These European rules could become the standard for the global net—leaving the U.S. behind.

We have seen this before. American policymakers sat on the sidelines while the EU enacted its General Data Protection Regulation, which has become the de facto global standard. If America wants to help shape the rules of the road governing online discourse, it must step up and engage now.