Social media must be fair to Arabic language content, Arab interests, says Shboul

AMMAN — Minister of Government Communication Faisal Shboul on Tuesday inaugurated the first meeting of the Arab technical team tasked with negotiating with international media companies.

During the opening session, Shboul, who is also government spokesperson, emphasised that the technical team’s task assigned by the Council of Arab Information Ministers is crucial to restoring lost rights at political, cultural, social and economic levels and establishing a long-term relationship capable of adapting to the positive and negative effects of the digital age on societies.

Shboul reviewed Jordan's efforts to create a unified Arab strategy for engaging with global media corporations, which received praise from other countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister noted that in recent months, Arab information ministers have reached a consensus on this vision, necessitating the technical team to establish a negotiation action plan as the first step towards establishing a solid partnership with international media companies.

Shboul said that Arab countries have been slow to establish relationships with international media companies, in contrast to European countries. Arab countries lagged six years behind Europe in the process, he added, noting that the EU recently passed a law for digital services that imposes strict fines on harmful content.

In recent years, Arab countries have lost many rights due to the negative impact of social media at the political, social and economic levels, Shboul said. “It is now crucial to regain some of those rights and prepare for an uncertain future amid the digital space race, digital chaos and media crises worldwide,” he added.

The minister stressed that international media companies should be fair to Arabic content, the Arabic language, and major Arab issues, especially the Palestinian cause, hate speech against Arabs and Muslims and Islamophobia.

Shboul affirmed the significance of mandating international media firms to follow specific protocols, while also highlighting the commitment of Arab countries to uphold standards establishing a sustainable relationship based on clear regulations and mutual trust.

Assistant Secretary-General and Supervisor of the Media and Communication Sector of the Arab League Ambassador Ahmad Rashid Khattabi praised the Kingdom's efforts in reaching this unified strategy.

Khattabi stressed the importance of collective work to sponsor content that supports the Palestinian cause and preventing deviated usages for historical, geographical and heritage facts pertaining to the Palestinian people.