
According to commentators, it is unlikely that social media companies will fully follow through on Turkey's new law mandating them to remove "disinformation" content and disclose user data with authorities, heightening the possibility of platform disruptions before the 2019 elections.
Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other companies must completely comply with the rules by next April, failing which they risk having their advertising restricted and eventually having their bandwidth reduced. This presents a problem for businesses before the June elections.
So, this article will discuss a new law being passed in Turkey to restrict social media and the implications of these disruptions.
What is the Turkish government going to be implemented?
The Turkish government is taking action to restrict social media in their country, which has many implications for sharing information. The new law, moreover, allows for content removal from any website without due process, which will likely lead to a restriction of freedom of speech and the ability for people to voice their opinions. There are also concerns about the effects this will have on voting since it's possible that voters may not be able to receive accurate polling results if they are unable to access all sources of information about voting.
Further, Content removal will likely be one of the most critical impacts of this law as it is content that citizens rely on for getting "breaking news" and information about current events in their country. It's possible that people may not find out about certain circumstances if they are unable to use social media to find out what has happened.
Another significant impact is the potential effect of voter turnout. If voters cannot get information about how well each candidate is doing or what the general vibe of voting is like, they may not feel inclined to vote at all, or they may vote only partially informed on issues. So, this is the exact opposite of what voters need to do, as it would lead to fewer votes and misinformation regarding who will win.
How the new rule affects the professionals?
Moreover, the last impact this law could have been that it will be difficult for journalists to report on elections if they cannot get information from social media sites. This is like the current situation in the US, where it's also difficult for journalists to cover elections as it becomes more difficult and expensive to cover elections out in the open. If journalists can't get their information from social media, they will have difficulty getting accurate news or correct quotes. They may be unable to provide a fair or unbiased opinion on the matter.
From the point of view of society as it is a wasted effort
Social media is already closely regulated, and users are sometimes put on trial for postings that were deemed offensive to the president or that criticized Turkey's invasions into Syria. A recent Reuters investigation revealed how self-censorship and pressure from authorities had turned Turkey's mainstream media into a tightly controlled supply chain of government-approved headlines.
According to Istanbul Bilgi University professor and cyber rights expert Yaman Akdeniz, social media corporations have so far been able to comply with the 2020 law by forming small corporate units in Turkey that they could dissolve under duress.
In the end, it implies the idea that the Turkish government is taking action to restrict social media in their country, and this has many implications for how information can be shared. The new law allows for content removal from any website without due process, likely leading to a restriction of freedom of speech. In addition, this could lead to fewer votes being cast, and misinformation spread about who will win. It could also make it difficult for journalists to report on the elections if they can't access information from social media sites.
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