Internet communications companies are simultaneously under pressure to tackle disinformation on their networks, as questions are raised regarding the shift to private regulatory action, in which public scrutiny is almost entirely absent. In this blogpost, we explain and argue that through their content moderation policies and practices, internet communication companies are acting as definers, judges and enforcers of freedom of expression on their services. Analysis of their responses to the ‘disinfodemic’, in particular the further automation of curation, confirms the urgent need for transparent and accountable content moderation policies.
