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That's not how the internet works

If you live in the UK (and likely the rest of the world eventually) then get ready for more "shaping" of your online experience by the government.

We've already see age-gating, compulsory ID and other measures either introduced or proposed by a growing number of countries across the Western world but now there's another challenge to the freedom of the internet.

According to this report, the UK is proposing a move to force social media companies to give priority to "trusted" news sources.

In a world filled with misinformation and disinformation, this may sound like a good idea.

However, who gets to decide which news sources are trusted and which are not?

For example, I'd wager good money that in the UK, politicians would place the BBC on the "trusted" list, even though it's currently facing a huge law-suit from US president Donald Trump for doctoring footage it screened of him in a way that totally misrepresented what he said.

There are also numerous other instances where the BBC has proven its left-leaning bias and willingness to "shape" the narrative to suit its own, or the government's, agendas.

The reality is that we now live in an era where "citizen journalists" sometimes (but not always) deliver the news more quickly and more accurately. I suspect that the problem governments have with this is not so much the fact that these amateurs may get it wrong or not operate in accordance with the principles of the Fourth Estate but that they can not be controlled and directed in the same way as a state broadcaster.

This "shaping" of the online world is becoming rife across the world and New Zealand is no exception.

This RNZ story claims that "The government is investigating charging international streaming platforms a levy, having a local content quota, or requiring direct investment into New Zealand production".

Quotas are a distortion of the market and should be avoided at all costs.

If our creatives can rely on quotas then there isn't the same imperative for them to lift their game to the point where they compete on their own merits in the local and global markets.

After coming out with a hiss and a roar, Canada has relaxed its quotas as applied to streaming companies and online operators. There was a huge pushback.

The thing is that we live in a time when virtually *anyone* can set up their own streaming service if they want. Should local creatives feel dissatisfied with mainstream services then there's nothing to stop them setting up in competition. If their stuff is really good then people will seek it out and they will be richly (and fairly) rewarded for their efforts.

My big concern is that governments around the world are clearly of the opinion that when it comes to the online world, *they* should be in control. Forget market forces, forget user choice, our politicians want to inflict their views, their beliefs, their opinions and their preferences on us all.

Sorry, that's not how the internet works.

Carpe Diem folks!

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