HRW calls for elections to tech companies: Resist government pressure

In its report released today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed that government control over the Internet threatened the May 14 elections and called on social media companies to create a contingency plan and resist government pressure.

In its report prepared in question and answer format, the organization noted that “voters will go to the polls in fear that the Erdogan government will exercise significant control over the digital environment to change the election results.”

Examining potential threats to Turkey’s internet environment in the elections together with the press freedom organization ARTICLE 19, HRW also listed additional steps that social media platforms and messaging services need to take to meet their obligations. human rights in elections.

‘Accelerated government censorship’

Deborah Brown, senior technology researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “The Turkish government intensified its efforts to tighten its control and enforce censorship over social media and independent online news sites ahead of the election. “Despite the government’s efforts to rein in the companies, the elections will test whether voters in Turkey can trust social media to access independent news and express their views on the elections and their results,” she said. .

Calling on the government to avoid threatening or restricting social media platforms to prevent the spread of dissenting views during elections, HRW stated that social media platforms must resist government pressure and prioritize human rights over gains by implementing contingency plans against constraints.

Referring to government pressure on the press and social media, HRW said: “Any future government in Turkey should reassess the country’s legislation on this issue and ensure that the legislation is in line with its human rights obligations.”

‘NO COMPANY IS TRANSPARENT’

In the report, “Manipulative behaviors on the Internet are common in political debates in Turkey. Before last election, large networks of fake social media accounts circulated pro-government views. Threats to the Internet have also entered the agenda of political parties participating in elections. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), claimed to have knowledge of the government’s plan to spread fake audio and video clips based on an algorithm to discredit him.

Human Rights Watch also reported that it examined the policies of popular social media companies and found that only Meta and TikTok have disclosed their approach to the elections in Turkey. The report noted that neither company was fully transparent about the resources they allocated for the elections in Turkey, stating that Anadolu Agency was expected to be the main source of the election results that were distorted in favor of the government. .