I think he just means that the industry should come up with a solution on their own terms, before someone else comes up with it for them.
US and various other countries do this all the time as well - encouraging a given industry to self-regulate to solve a problem, with the threat that if they don’t, the government will be forced to step in and the industry will probably get less favorable terms.
When we’re talking about the press, of course, this conversation is horrifying. But I don’t think the meaning of the word “voluntary” is being twisted quite the way you’re implying here.
They’re saying that the problem must be solved, but he’s saying “either you solve it on your terms, or we’ll solve it on ours.”
Still, sucks.
