A Latin American Perspective On Global Governance For Digital Platform Accountability

This policy brief explores the global interest in digital governance structures and offers a Latin American perspective. It questions the calls to hastily address the need for global regulations in the digital sphere, urging nuance and regard for regional contexts and concerns. The regulatory dynamics of the Global North have predominant influence in shaping global discussions through regulatory frameworks, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union (EU). These regulations may not align with the diverse needs and realities of Latin America and this is-thus-a major source of concern. Despite the shared concern, normative migration does occur, a point we will demonstrate through the analysis of Latin American bills where the influence of Global North regulations and processes-such as UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms-can be found. The brief calls to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to digital governance. Furthermore, it calls to identify principles and recommendations that could contribute to a truly global understanding of the subject. From a Latin American standpoint, a central goal of this brief is to highlight the Inter-American System of Human Rights (IASHR) track record in defending and protecting freedom of expression, including in the digital sphere. This regional perspective should be part of global discussions on digital platform accountability to incite more inclusive and nuanced standards thereby achieving fairness, transparency, and platform accountability that considers the social, cultural, economic, and historical local contexts.