RightsCon 2021 Panel: Autocratic copycats? Russia and Turkey stifle social media
Channel: Access Now
Date: 2021-08-16

Russia has been using legislation and security agencies’ powers to prevent “undesirable” content online, not only against journalists but also regular citizens. Journalists can be charged huge fines and be jailed on charges of “spreading fake news” for reporting the news. Turkey, where 97 percent of the media are in government hands, has followed a similar course through increasingly harsh treatment of journalists and most recently with new legislation that will cut off bandwidth of platforms who don’t comply with government requests. 

Both countries have adopted restrictive legislation. Russia has given Roskomnadzor and Turkey has given the Supreme Radio and TV Supervision Board (RTÜK) broad social media censorship powers. Turkey: A recent law threatens to cut bandwidth of social media sites. Russia: recent legislation threatens blocking social media platforms for what is considered “anti-Russian” sanctions. 

This online censorship is worrying as in both countries social media remains the only influential sphere left for the dissemination of independent information and the mobilization of civil society. Speakers (journalists and experts from the two countries) will outline the legal and extralegal advances taken by their countries’ administration. Parallels confirm that autocrats tend to learn from each other and copycat practices when suppressing activism and opposition. This serves as an incentive for civil society to exchange knowledge on how to counter online censorship.

The panel will discuss how journalists are responding to the threat and also evaluate the role of social media companies, their responsibilities in securing freedom of the news.

Host institution: Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA); Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF)