According to new Global Trends research by Cullen International, approaches to social media regulation vary considerably around the world.
Growing use of social media, further accelerated in many countries by social distancing policies related with the COVID-19 pandemic, led several governments to revise some of the safeguards protecting online platforms from liability and responsibility for content shared by their end -users.
Among the countries analysed in this benchmark, over the past year, China, the EU, India, Japan, and the US revised (or proposed to revise) in some respects their respective safe harbour rules.
This 50+ page Global Trends benchmark covers different aspects of social media regulation:
- Licensing requirements, ownership restrictions, supervisory authorities, and taxation.
- Safe harbour: scope and main conditions for it to apply.
- Tackling harmful or illegal content on social media platforms.
The research covers: Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, France, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, and the US.
For more information and to access our report on social media regulation trends around the globe, please click on “Access the full content” - or on “Request Access”, in case you are not subscribed to our Global Trends service.
more news
30 October 26
Many governments around the globe rely on legal mechanisms to compel communications apps to cooperate in law enforcement investigations
Cullen International's latest Global Trends benchmark for number-independent communications apps regulation found that nearly all of the 13 surveyed jurisdictions around the world provide some legal mechanism to make these apps assist law enforcement in criminal investigations. There are requirements to verify user identities, compel disclosure of stored content, make encrypted content accessible, and duties to detect illegal content within private communications.
22 October 26
IoT regulation: new operational requirements reshape global connectivity
Cullen International's Quarterly Regulatory Update on IoT and M2M Services (Q3 2026) highlights how national regulators around the globe are shaping the future of IoT and M2M services.
21 October 26
Americas countries require satellite service providers to obtain a spectrum licence
Cullen International’s latest benchmark compares satellite regulation across the Americas, including service and spectrum licensing, registration requirements, spectrum allocations and fees, interference rules, migration between frequency bands and recent regulatory developments.