Abstract

Objectives: This article aims to examine and analyze the role of regional and international communication law in two distinct periods: the "traditional media era" and the "digital and artificial intelligence era." It also seeks to answer whether regional law particularly within the Council of Europe and the European Union has been more successful than international communication law in creating global standards, and to identify the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging technologies.

Methods: This research adopts a descriptive‑analytical approach, utilizing library resources, international documents including the European Convention on Human Rights, the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive, Council of Europe declarations and recommendations, and reports from UNESCO and the ITU, as well as comparative studies of regulatory actions and case law at both regional and global levels.

Findings: Regional communication law, especially within the Council of Europe and the EU, has successfully developed advanced and enforceable standards concerning freedom of expression, media pluralism, access to information, and platform regulation by combining “hard law” and “soft law” instruments and dynamic judicial practice. In contrast, international communication law has faced greater difficulties in achieving effective convergence and regulation due to cultural diversity, political disagreements, and weak enforcement mechanisms. The advent of the digital age and artificial intelligence has introduced new challenges—such as extraterritoriality, multiple actors, algorithmic decision‑making, and mass disinformation—that fundamentally challenge traditional legal frameworks.

Conclusions: To address the challenges of the digital and AI era, regional and international communication law must update legal instruments, strengthen coordination among regional and global bodies, and develop new standards concerning algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, and disinformation. The successful experiences of regional law, particularly within the Council of Europe and the EU, can serve as models for future global frameworks. The article suggests that a “Global Convention on Communication in the Digital and AI Era” should be considered under the auspices of the United Nations or UNESCO.