"There's a serious problem with social media sites such as Facebook, which consists of three aspects: transparency, revenue, and control," Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel told Israel Hayom in an interview on Wednesday.
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"The built-in tension is between our recognition of freedom of expression and that the state shouldn't have control over the truth, and between ways this power can be abused. I can tell you we are in earnest discussions with [social media companies]. I've already met with TikTok's management and we are in discussions with Facebook and Twitter, and we are on the way to reaching understandings with them," said Hendel.
Hendel said regulations will be imposed, but that they will be consensual. "These dilemmas exist everywhere in the world. The debate in the United States crosses party lines – the Americans are focusing on the monopoly that's been created. We are learning from them and are trying to develop applicable models."
The communications minister added: "I am definitely not happy with the existing situation. I'm convinced we need to intervene somehow, and ultimately Israel will intervene. I'm in favor of doing this through dialogue.
"If Facebook decides, for example, to block certain citizens, the question is on what basis did they make that decision? They are essentially editing, very similar to editors at a newspaper. We will clear this up," he said.
With that, Hendel supports censorship in certain cases and even states that his ministry is in continuous communication with social media companies about censoring certain content.
"When it comes to 'fake news' from anti-vaxxers, for example, who present unsubstantiated research and false information, it's akin to incitement. This is a matter of life or death.
"On these issues, intervention is absolutely necessary," he says. "Facebook is in continuous contact with us regarding antisemitic content, for instance. When a video is posted of a young Arab man beating a Haredi person in Jerusalem, intervention is certainly called for. The question only pertains to the gray areas."
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