Co-regulation for the Digital Platforms Era

Start year: 2025

Summary: This Strategic Scientific Workshop investigates the use of co-regulation with the aim of creating a safe online environment and building information integrity. The workshop will investigate how and when industry-led regulation has been used to enhance public policy objectives in the communications sector and how it could be used in the future for digital platforms. The workshop will focus on three separate stages of co-regulation: code development, code compliance and code enforcement, both from an EU and an Australian perspective. Aspects to be considered in the code development component include: the use of outcomes and risk- based approaches to rule-making; the use of multiple separate codes designed for different industry participants (eg, separate codes for social media services, hosting services etc); the involvement of consumer and public interest groups in code development; criteria by which regulators assess the suitability of industry developed codes. Aspects to be considered in the code compliance component include: strategies for promoting a culture of compliance within companies; the potential for AI-driven provider-specific user complaint mechanisms (eg, for flagging and responding to offensive content); challenges to traditional external complaint-handling mechanisms such as ombud schemes. Aspects to be considered in the enforcement component include: the suitability of traditional regulatory tools in the digital platform environment; cross-border enforcement; international cooperation and ways of promoting remedies across jurisdictions.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.