Thanks to Mr.Kapil Sibal, India has recommenced talking about the freedom of speech again, this time with respect to social networking sites. Monitoring content on social networking sites is something that no one is going to be happy about. However, this affects only the netizens. Infact, in India if you have access to social networking sites, you should consider yourself lucky. One can say that we have 25 million Facebook users. But, our country is home to 1.2 billion people. In a country where illiteracy, corruption and domestic violence are rampant, I think we need to be realistic and prioritize our problems. I don't intend to support the government, but I think we need to calm down and weigh the pros and cons.
Facebook has a breed of people who love and take pride in airing their opinions on anything and everything. There are thousands who have the ability to give constructive criticism. But there is also a section who can do nothing but curse and sling mud. If controlling content will lead to removal of this pile of garbage, I for one will be glad. I am not exactly in favour of saying whatever you like just because its a social networking site. Misuse of the right of speech is dangerous. If you use this right to make derogatory statements, then it is abuse, and not use. Don't we hate it when politicians abuse their powers?
Now that we have looked at the positive, lets not ignore the negative. The Government has woken up to the fact that social media is a strong medium, and this a place which brings people together without barriers. It is a brutal weapon they don't know how to shield themselves from. They are aware of the strength of social networking sites, and are frightened. Also, when you talk about filtering the content, what extent will the government go to? Tackling with this issue will be like walking on a minefield - you need to be extremely careful. The Government could also delete content where the author has disagreed with an issue without using derogatory or inflammatory statements. That would be unfair and regressive, as we all have the right to provide valid feedback and voice our opinions.
I'm neither in favour nor against this issue. However, I do think we need to breathe, think and be practical before protesting. Lets remove the blinkers and see the larger picture. It may be ugly, it may be pretty. But if you can see the entire picture and not just the splotchy parts, wouldn't that be fair and just?
Facebook has a breed of people who love and take pride in airing their opinions on anything and everything. There are thousands who have the ability to give constructive criticism. But there is also a section who can do nothing but curse and sling mud. If controlling content will lead to removal of this pile of garbage, I for one will be glad. I am not exactly in favour of saying whatever you like just because its a social networking site. Misuse of the right of speech is dangerous. If you use this right to make derogatory statements, then it is abuse, and not use. Don't we hate it when politicians abuse their powers?
Now that we have looked at the positive, lets not ignore the negative. The Government has woken up to the fact that social media is a strong medium, and this a place which brings people together without barriers. It is a brutal weapon they don't know how to shield themselves from. They are aware of the strength of social networking sites, and are frightened. Also, when you talk about filtering the content, what extent will the government go to? Tackling with this issue will be like walking on a minefield - you need to be extremely careful. The Government could also delete content where the author has disagreed with an issue without using derogatory or inflammatory statements. That would be unfair and regressive, as we all have the right to provide valid feedback and voice our opinions.
I'm neither in favour nor against this issue. However, I do think we need to breathe, think and be practical before protesting. Lets remove the blinkers and see the larger picture. It may be ugly, it may be pretty. But if you can see the entire picture and not just the splotchy parts, wouldn't that be fair and just?
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