Towards strengthening dialogue between French-speaking regulators and platforms

On April 24, 2024, REFRAM and RIARC adopted the Abidjan Declaration on strengthening dialogue between regulators and online platforms on the African continent and in the French-speaking world, and signed a protocol of voluntary commitments with the latter.

Members of the Réseau francophone des régulateurs des médias (REFRAM) and the Réseau des instances africaines de régulation de la communication (RIARC) met on April 23 and 24 in Abidjan for a joint international conference on "Regulating digital services: For a strengthening dialogue between regulators and major online platforms on the African continent and in the French-speaking world". In addition to member regulators of the two networks and representatives of major platforms (Google, Meta, TikTok and X), the event was attended by representatives of the OIF, UNESCO and the ERGA office. The latter presented current multilateral initiatives to regulate major platforms, including the implementation of the Digital Services Regulation (DSA) in the European Union.

At the end of the conference, opened by the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, REFRAM and RIARC adopted a declaration on strengthening dialogue between regulators and online platforms on the African continent and in the French-speaking world. In it, the regulators affirm their desire to establish a structured, long-term dialogue with the major online platforms, and set out the expected areas for improvement. At the same time, Meta, X and TikTok signed a voluntary commitment protocol to give concrete form to this initiative, which is also supported by Google.

In the run-up to the next Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts, and following on from the REFRAM and RIARC declarations, adopted respectively in Paris on October 7, 2022 and in Yaoundé on November 9, 2023, the Abidjan Conference represents a major step forward and a concrete translation of this desire to establish a high-level, survival dialogue between networks of regulators and platforms.

An ad hoc dialogue forum has been set up for this purpose, bringing together representatives of REFRAM, RIARC and the four platforms, to hold its first meeting before the end of 2024.