Meret Schneider calls for rules for hate speech on social media

What is illegal in the real world should no longer be tolerated online: Switzerland is intended to enforce fairness and transparency on social media.

When Meret Schneider criticized a few weeks ago that the algorithm of X, Facebook and Co. favored the AfD and thus influenced the German election campaign, she got into a crossfire of criticism: right-wing and right-wing extremist critics not only shared the content of the Green National Councilor. They also attacked them personally.

The incident is exemplary for how uninhibited hatred, murder threats and personality -violating content are spread. Ultimately, however, Schneider was already concerned that the Internet was not a legal space. « What is illegal offline must also be illegal online, » she explains on request.

In a new advance As a result, Schneider demands « fairness and transparency in the digital space ». Instead of demonizing the social platforms, it wants to make their work more transparent: Which criteria are used for the rankings of entries?

Schneider approves the platforms a « great democratic potential ». However, there is a risk of one -sided information in the event of a strong market concentration. Powerful actors and algorithms created by them decide which content is above and what is suppressed. Provides are Elon Musk, who influences public opinion through his platform X.

Authorities must be able to identify offenders

In addition to the transparency, Schneider also wants to give users a way to easily report illegal content. She knows from her own experience that complaint management works only to a limited extent. « Mails come back to complaints that explain that content does not violate the platform’s guidelines – even if there are serious offenses such as identity theft, » says Schneider.

In the case of legal content of the platform operators with authorities and legal representatives, legal content must also cooperate. This means that, for example, publish the IP address, for example, to find the person who spreads the punishment.

Meret Schneider is convinced that this also improves the tonality on social media. And she says: « These are all measures that platform operators can implement relatively easily. » It is well aware that Switzerland cannot dictate such rules on their own rules. But there is a simple way: « We can agree with the efforts of the EU. » A year ago, this implemented the Digital Services Act, which aims to strengthen user rights on digital platforms.

Schneider is supported by parliamentary members from all parties. GLP National Councilor Patrick Häß has also submitted an initiative that wants to oblige the platform operator to support authorities “immediately and fully” in identifying criminals on digital platforms.

And after all, the Federal Office for Communication 2021 also found that social media act non -transparently and do too little against hate speech and fake news. The Federal Council promised proposals for new rules on March 2024. So far nothing has been published. Nevertheless, Schneider’s wishes could realize faster than usual in the Swiss political system.