Facebook’s top lobbyist Clegg calls for ‘good regulation’ of global web

Bloomberg

Facebook Inc made a very public bid over the weekend to shape the global conversation about internet regulation, though so far some politicians remain skeptical of its efforts.
The company’s top lobbyist urged regulators around the world to agree on standards governing online content — and to prevent a patchwork of different regulations that make it difficult for international companies to comply.
It would be “much better if these rules are done on a multilateral and global level rather than a piecemeal way, which can contribute to the Balkanization of the internet,” Facebook’s head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Clegg’s comments come on the heels of a statement by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, also published as an op-ed in the Washington Post, in which he called for new global regulations for internet companies.
The social media giant’s push follows growing government scrutiny of Facebook around the world, and an effort by the company to get out ahead of possible regulatory actions.
Clegg said that given its size, Facebook should play a role in creating rules for the web. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, was hired by Facebook last year to lead the company’s lobbying efforts. “There’s good regulation and there’s bad regulation,” he said.
“There’s sensible regulation and there’s unwelcome regulation.”
In his post, Zuckerberg recommended overarching rules on hateful and violent content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.
Facebook is seeking internationally accepted standards that would set baselines for prohibited content and require companies to build systems for keeping harmful content to a minimum, Zuckerberg said.
Some politicians and regulators have so far been wary of Facebook’s offer to help write the rules. “Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t get to make the rules anymore,” Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline tweeted.
Facebook has come under fire in the US in recent years over its immense influence, data practices and content policies.
Legislators have asked its executives — including Zuckerberg — to testify in front of Congress to explain the proliferation of misinformation, hate speech and election manipulation on the platform.