Matthew Mongolap
Social media employ web- and mobile-based technologies to support
interactive dialogue and “introduce substantial and pervasive changes to
communication between organizations, communities, and individuals.”
Social media are distinct from industrial or traditional media, such as
newspapers, television, and film as they are comparatively inexpensive
and accessible to enable anyone (even private individuals) to publish or
access information.
To regulate social media will be like a
dictatorship. PNG has a very vibrant democracy and freedom of speech/
expression is one of the founding pillars of our democracy.
In PNG context, social media does not pose a national security threat like those in other countries.
However, to quell the malicious use of social media, the government has
to strategize its policies regarding this so that it can block off
messages or posts with malicious intent to discredit the government and
its citizens. This must be done in an equitable and harmonious way. This
will only be effective if the Government enact an act on cyber
monitoring, which will lay out the guidelines and operating procedures
on the nature of online contents which will be blocked and clearly
specify the penalties that will be imposed on perpetrators.
On
this note, the government must also be willing to establish a Legal arm
which will draft the legal framework and counter argue cases that may
arise as a result of the regulations put in place in the future.
The need for a 'legal and administrative regime' to prevent malicious
use of the internet was felt last month after rumours spread through
mobile phone text messages and on social networking sites that nearly
fuelled unrest among citizens of Southern Highlands Province when a text
message regarding huge sums of money was being paid to certain
individuals named for various reasons by the Southern Highlands
Provincial Government.
The SHP Provincial Administrator denied
outright via the National News Paper. This led to the SHP Governor
proposing to the government a to have in place a control mechanism via
The National and also denying any knowledge of such payments being made.
In the world, Governments in disparate countries from the UK, Saudi
Arabia, India, UAE to South Africa have been making noises about
regulating the free-for-all on popular social media sites and tools by
enacting Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (RICA).
RICA allows government authorities to track a number that has been registered in the event that it is used to commit a crime.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron stated that the “free flow of
information can be used for good, but it can also be used for ill… it
would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and
services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and
criminality.”
Last year Saudi Arabia banned messenger functions on all BlackBerry devices claiming they posed security concerns.
I am of the view that it would be better if the Government regulate the
use of Social Media or cyber space use for that matter in the not too
distant future. However, in a democratic Country like PNG, implementing
Control/Regulations regarding the use of cyber space is less likely.
For your information only......Mbiraga
Social media are distinct from industrial or traditional media, such as newspapers, television, and film as they are comparatively inexpensive and accessible to enable anyone (even private individuals) to publish or access information.
To regulate social media will be like a dictatorship. PNG has a very vibrant democracy and freedom of speech/ expression is one of the founding pillars of our democracy.
In PNG context, social media does not pose a national security threat like those in other countries.
However, to quell the malicious use of social media, the government has to strategize its policies regarding this so that it can block off messages or posts with malicious intent to discredit the government and its citizens. This must be done in an equitable and harmonious way. This will only be effective if the Government enact an act on cyber monitoring, which will lay out the guidelines and operating procedures on the nature of online contents which will be blocked and clearly specify the penalties that will be imposed on perpetrators.
On this note, the government must also be willing to establish a Legal arm which will draft the legal framework and counter argue cases that may arise as a result of the regulations put in place in the future.
The need for a 'legal and administrative regime' to prevent malicious use of the internet was felt last month after rumours spread through mobile phone text messages and on social networking sites that nearly fuelled unrest among citizens of Southern Highlands Province when a text message regarding huge sums of money was being paid to certain individuals named for various reasons by the Southern Highlands Provincial Government.
The SHP Provincial Administrator denied outright via the National News Paper. This led to the SHP Governor proposing to the government a to have in place a control mechanism via The National and also denying any knowledge of such payments being made.
In the world, Governments in disparate countries from the UK, Saudi Arabia, India, UAE to South Africa have been making noises about regulating the free-for-all on popular social media sites and tools by enacting Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (RICA).
RICA allows government authorities to track a number that has been registered in the event that it is used to commit a crime.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron stated that the “free flow of information can be used for good, but it can also be used for ill… it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality.”
Last year Saudi Arabia banned messenger functions on all BlackBerry devices claiming they posed security concerns.
I am of the view that it would be better if the Government regulate the use of Social Media or cyber space use for that matter in the not too distant future. However, in a democratic Country like PNG, implementing Control/Regulations regarding the use of cyber space is less likely.
For your information only......Mbiraga
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