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Doha – Speaking at the 8th Francophone Network of Media Regulators (REFRAM) conference in Dakar on January 27, Latifa Akharbach, president of Morocco’s High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA), emphasized the urgent need for digital platforms to take concrete responsibility for content moderation and user protection.
“The perception and prevalence of digital risks has reached such a level in all societies that it is urgent to direct dialogue with Digital Platforms towards effective accountability and concrete commitments from Big Tech actors,” Akharbach stated at the conference, which gathered regulatory authorities from fifteen countries.
Addressing recent developments in digital content moderation, Akharbach expressed concern about some major digital platforms’ decisions to relax their content moderation rules and abandon professional fact-checking systems.
She warned that “although this decision currently only concerns the United States market, the probability of a progressive generalization to all parts of the world is high, with the consequence of a risk of deterioration of global standards in content moderation.”
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The HACA president highlighted particular concerns for African users, noting that platforms’ prioritization of economic interests and adjustment to local political pressures could compromise user rights in certain regions.
“Both the Francophone network and the African network of media regulators have consistently urged platforms to show greater commitment in the fight against disinformation and denounced their double-standards policy at various levels,” she stated.
She further detailed these concerns: “legal representation across countries and continents, resources allocated to moderation, and use of local languages, particularly in Africa.”
This stance aligns with recent statements from Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, who has repeatedly warned about social media’s impact on society and called for stricter regulation of digital platforms, pointing out the need to protect citizens’ privacy and dignity while addressing online misinformation.
The conference concluded with a leadership transition, as Roch-Olivier Maistre of France’s Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority handed over REFRAM’s presidency to Mamadou Oumar Ndiaye of Senegal’s CNRA.
Mohamed Abdallahi Lahbib of Mauritania’s High Authority for Press and Audiovisual was elected vice-president.
HACA, established by royal decree in 2002, serves as Morocco’s independent regulatory body for audiovisual communication, ensuring pluralism, diversity, and freedom of expression in the sector.
In October 2024, the authority approved the creation of four new public sports television channels, expanding the national audiovisual landscape.
