Spain has a reputation for the written word, but the digital space is a trying time for most people. Right now, hate is able to be spread by anyone, about anyone, to anyone. This makes it dangerous, according to the nations Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. He intends to clamp down on it, and has launched a tool – ‘HODIO: Footprint of Hate and Polarization’ – to do it with. It rolls out across Spain’s digital usership in the hope of clearing it up and making the Internet a safe space for all.
It works by researching the pros and cons of what people post, write, and say, and returns it as information that can be analysed by lawmakers – and anyone else – to work out how it can be done better. This is a risky effort because not all government office workers or academic experts work by absolutes. They follow subjective thoughts and opinions to honour feelings, and not facts. This results in policies that aim at mastering political expression for control purposes.
The other point is that editorial control – which this is – is a difficult exercise. It’s not yet clear if anyone can truly exercise regulatory effect over such a large number of people – and with immediacy, which the Internet now demands. The government of Spain, or any other, isn’t just a big institution for big things. These endeavours always take time, not pronouncements, and effect, not cause. Sanchez may have a way forward, but some still see it as a way back.
