Arab Team for Int’l Media Companies to meet in Amman August 29-30

AMMAN — The Arab Technical Team for Managing Relations with International Media Companies will meet in Amman on August 29 and 30, Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul said on Saturday.

In a meeting with editors-in-chief of daily newspapers and directors of official media outlets, Shboul, who is also the government's spokesperson, outlined the team's key role, noting that they will formulate comprehensive regulations based on the unified Arab strategy for international media companies (social media platforms). 

The meeting will focus on communication, negotiation planning and agreements in interactions with international media companies.

The team includes representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Information Ministers and the Arab States Broadcasting Union.

This initiative was proposed during the 53rd session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers in Rabat, where they endorsed the Unified Arab Strategy.  Drafted by Jordan, the strategy includes a unified guiding law to regulate social media platforms and protect Arab media and users' interests.

Under the strategy, international media companies, specifically social media platforms, will be obligated to provide clear channels for reporting illegal content and establish legal representation in Arab countries.

These companies will be required to allocate human and technical resources to deal with complaints and remove blatantly illegal content within 24 hours of receiving a complaint, and will be required to remove more subtly illegal content within seven days.

The policy emphasises the protection of underage users and the avoidance of algorithms that suppress content that supports the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem, in line with international law.

Illegal content addressed by the strategy includes fake news, fabricated campaigns inciting criminal activity, interference in democratic elections, media promotion of banned entities, encouragement of acts threatening national security, dissemination of forged documents and incitement of social unrest.

The strategy also addresses the promotion of criminal, terrorist and extremist organisations, invasions of privacy, hate speech and the explicit encouragement of crime. It strictly prohibits sexual exploitation and child abuse, among others.

Penalties for non-compliance include fines ranging from $100,000 to $2 million, or a financial penalty of up to 6 per cent of international social media revenue, whichever is greater. Alternatively, a temporary suspension will be imposed until corrective action is taken.

Arab countries committed to the strategy will allocate compensatory revenues from social media platforms, digital broadcasting and search engines to initiatives that raise media awareness and education, counter fake news and support the digital transformation for print media, radio stations and television.