The UK government has launched a consultation proposing that platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and other social media services make news from public service media including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and potentially other trusted publishers, more prominent in feeds and search results. The proposal is part of a wider Media Green Paper aimed at tackling misinformation and reforming public service media. Supporters argue it could improve access to reliable news, while critics question whether governments should influence how recommendation algorithms rank content and what qualifies as a “trusted” source.
imagine if russia, or china, or another country that it’s acceptable to villify, made tiktok only show Russia Today, for instance, in algorithmic video feed. i think people in the uk would see that as blatant state propaganda to control the minds of the populace and stop people being able to think outside parameters. I’ll get my news from TheFartingGamer66 if i want to!
Both of those already suppress “undesirable” content. The Chinese Firewall is infamous. Both ban VPNs. China has an entire social scoring/credit system. They are both being criticized for it.
And yes UK are stupid for trying to push this. Encouraging these services to make official sources visible is one thing, but requiring the content to be boosted is stupid, it’s as if Facebook would boost Republicans through corrupt backroom deals - oh wait they did. https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/right-leaning-facebook-pages-have-earned-billions-interactions-election-related-posts
Tldr all authoritarians are bad.
Great (British) Firewall
Obviously this is dystopian but no one is going to leap to the defence of any current algorithm either. YouTube calling on the British public to “protect your feed” is falling on deaf ears because these precious algos gave us Brexit and Reform
“Too many people are ignoring our state propaganda, we need to force them to watch it.”
nooo, tiktok should prioritise american media like fox news and cnn!!! how will the USA continue to indoctrinate the UK now???
