The Importance of a Social Media Council for Democratic Accountability in the Digital Age

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, has again revealed that the Indonesian government will create a Social Media Council (DMS) to regulate content on social media.

The formation of this Council is based on a proposal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and will have a function similar to the Press Council. DMS will be the government's strategic partner in managing social media, including ensuring press freedom and freedom of opinion in the digital space.

Social Media Council: A Solution for Democratic Accountability

The Social Media Councils (SMC) are the proposed bodies to ensure accountability and community involvement in the management of social media platforms. Large platforms like Facebook (now Meta) and Twitter (now X) have created private communication spaces controlled by their internal rules and algorithmic moderation practices. This has given them great influence over social discussions and public opinion. However, the question arises whether this process should be guided by internal rules and private sector objectives such as maximizing profits?

Discussions about models that allow societal interests and goals to play a greater role in designing digital rules and practices are increasing. The Social Media Council (SMC) was proposed as a solution to reduce the power imbalance between platforms and users.

SMCs can serve as an interface between platforms, the public sector, and civil society, taking various forms such as expert councils, stakeholder forums, or citizens' assemblies. This council can discuss important issues such as protecting human rights on online sites and countering disinformation.

The establishment of DMS in Indonesia has actually been planned since August 2023. At that time, the Director General of Information and Communication, Kominfo, Usman Kansong, said that they were still in the review stage.

UNESCO itself says on its official website that the aim of the DMS is to strengthen society's resilience against the spread of potentially dangerous content online, especially hate speech that incites violence while protecting freedom of expression and increasing the promotion of peace through digital technology, especially social media.

A clear example of an SMC is the Meta Oversight Board, which makes recommendations about content moderation on Facebook and Instagram, although the recommendations are not binding on the companies. The council is composed of experts from various continents and functions as a "self-governing unit". Although the board is capable of making binding decisions, few cases are taken up due to limited capacity.

The main challenges faced by SMCs are ensuring the legitimacy and enforceability of their decisions, as well as striking a balance between social change and structural institutionalization. The debate also covers the scale of SMC, whether it should be regional, national, or even global, as well as the focus on specific issues or specific locations.

The importance of the SMC is also recognized by the European Union through the Digital Services Act (DSA) which names the council as a regulatory and standardization body. In the European context, the SMC can play an advisory role in the DSA framework, such as non-judicial dispute resolution, development of codes of conduct for online advertising, and access for people with disabilities.

Recommendations and Challenges

Recommendations from expert discussions include the need to make the digital space more democratic, adapt the composition and structure of the SMC to its goals, learn from existing examples such as the Meta Oversight Board, and consider other models of democratic accountability.

It also emphasized the importance of adequate resources for effective implementation, ensuring the participation of disadvantaged groups, and preventing negative effects such as weakening government regulators and excessive diversification of responsibilities.

In conclusion, SMC can increase legitimacy and community engagement in digital platform regulation, but requires inclusive design, multi-stakeholder participation, and adequate resources to be successful.

The Indonesian government's move to establish DMS is a step forward in ensuring that social media platforms are more accountable and responsive to society's needs, while protecting freedom of expression and promoting peace in the digital space.