If you get nightmares about dark data or worry we’re sleep-walking into a totalitarian regime probably best not to read this. Or maybe you should. Who knows.

I was at Portcullis house for Reclaiming democracy in the age of (anti) social media (title on front cover of report #FacingDownFacebook)

Report from office of Molly Scott Cato MEP and by Tom Scot.

In no particular order:

1. we’re in deep trouble (my summary).

2. gobsmacking that no pressure for official investigation considering how many people on US House Judiciary Committee list have direct ties to Brexit/Britain (Carole Cadwalldr).

3. While working with tech companies (like EU commission is) obviously important, self-regulation is insufficient and global approach needed for global countries. (Damian Collins MP)

4. That doesn’t mean we should wait, we should create our own laws to protect democracy now. (Damian Collins MP)

5. GDPR one of our greatest protections (Damian Collins MP) (bit of politicalspeak here I didn’t understand the intention behind).

6. Facebook clearly has the data they’re not sharing with governments etc (doh)

7. We regulate financial industry which is international so should get our shit together (my words) for ‘tech’ (their word).

8. We need to reclaim and have security for our online identities. ‘Like slavery, Facebook uses us as a product. There needs to be a cultural shift in how we talk. This should be viewed as our rights not Facebook’s’ (Shahmir Sanni).

9. Astonishing that such important actions, fake adverts every day on social media to thwart the political process and we don’t know who they originate from even though Facebook clearly does (Carole Cadwalldr).

10. Vital to keep the anti-democracy effect et al in the news. Still don’t know what happened in referendum. Why should we allow Facebook to get away with it (Carole Cadwalldr).

11. Green vision is of a data environment, and that data polluters should be prosecuted etc just as meatspace (my word) polluters (Molly Scott Cato MEP I think)

12. Users of facebook create value so core practice should have users treated with respect (don’t remember who).

13. Facebook has done a little (also lots of talk about under the radar, not getting information, facebook working with EU).

14. Report #FacingDownFacebook looks at context, facebook history, DCMS, Canada, EU commission etc. Gathered from all over (report author Tim Scott).

17. We are running this country and have the power to shut down Facebook if we wish to (Damian Collins MP I think).

18. Actually though Youtube do this all the time we need to consider impact on instagram, linkedin, Tinder, (Shahmir Sammi). So I hope you don’t use one login for everything (me here and now – not there).

19. Could there be a joint committee on Russian interference? (forget who, maybe audience). Yes (Damian Collins MP) some discussion of powers and their limits with this. Audience applauded. I wanted to ask when.

Hope that’s useful!