Self-regulation, awareness are basis for social sites management: Minister Sharma

Lalitpur, Aug 24: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said self-regulation and awareness would be made the basis for the management of social sites. At an interaction ‘Formulation of Laws Addressing Digital Violence: Challenges and Solution’ organised by Media Advocacy Group (MAG) here today, Minister Sharma shared that the ministry has been formulating laws in order to manage the use of social sites, and self-regulation and awareness have been considered as the important basis for the same.

She added, “The ministry has been carrying out activities making a taskforce for the same. Looking at the international practice, it seems appropriate to emphasise on self-regulation and awareness.” The Communications Minister clarified that social sites users and media operating social sites would self-regulate and create cyber awareness for the same, adding adopting way for legal action if different walks of life of the society publish and broadcast violence related content from social sites would be appropriate measure.

She pointed out that “Many people do not know what to do or what not to do social media and what will be the punishment. One should be punished if he/she does crime knowingly but emphasis should be given in self-regulation and awareness not to let happen it without knowing it.” Stating that cyber security and cyber education are the area of the priority, Communications Minister stressed that government, non-government offices, private sector and media should be pay attention on it.

She viewed that laws would be formulated for regulation without curtailing freedom of expression, adding we are feeling the necessity of act to make the use of social sites safe and systematic. MAG Director and journalist Babita Basnet called attention of the government towards the fact that most of the cyber crimes were found to be committed by people from the privileged section of society. “When we look at the cyber crime incidents, a high number of both perpetrators and the victims are from the educated class,” she elaborated.

Cyber expert and former Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Rajib Subba said the national laws should be able to deal with the cyber crime. “Very few among the cyber crime victims report the incident to the police and of them only in negligible numbers move the court due to the lack of laws,” he pointed out. Film actor Karishma Manandhar shared about the problem she faced due to defamation and abuse via social sites.

She called for promptly making appropriate legislation for the regulation of social sites. LGBTIQ social activist Bhumika Shrestha also drew attention on the problems the members of her community are facing due to abuse through social sites. “The comment box and the message inbox are full of slur, hate speech and expressions of sexual violence against the people of the gender and sexual minorities whenever news or an ordinary photo about us is uploaded in the social sites. Whether it is social sites or our daily life beyond that, the way the society behaves with us is the same,” rued Bhumika.