Altun: Social media companies must abide by the legal frameworks

Fahrettin Altun, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the International Strategic Communications Summit (Stratcom Summit’ 21) organized by the Directorate of Communications at the Haliç Congress Centre, said: “Social media companies must abide by the legal frameworks established not only in the countries where their headquarters are located, but also in all countries where they operate, and they must account for and refrain from actions and attitudes that are harmful to the public conscience. Only then will they be able to become legitimate actors in the new global environment we are in.”

Altun stated that one of the most important responsibilities in the cyber world shaped by new communication tools falls on social media companies and that voices should be raised against the cultural destruction caused by systematic disinformation campaigns and manipulative content by companies operating globally.

Altun stated that these platforms were places where strong voices could be raised against the cultural destruction that was manifesting itself on a global scale and that they considered Stratcom as an important channel in this direction, and said: “Unfortunately, these companies take advantage of a self-proclaimed immunity shield. Despite all the calls made on the issue, we are all aware that these companies do not demonstrate the required transparency, do not care about the principle of accountability, and reveal themselves to us as interest-based actors. Despite this fact, the situation in which they see themselves as an arbitrator above all democratic institutions and players is unacceptable.” (ILKHA)