Beware scaremongers
on social media
The world
has mastered the art of riding by the rule book that aberrations are disposed
of by law.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It will be a mere understatement to say
there are scaremongering and false propaganda on WhatsApp and other social
media platforms, given the havoc they cause to social peace. There is no
absolute tool to stem the menace. But law enforcers can reduce the impact
through heightened vigil and stringent implementation of the law wherever
possible because most offences are committed in distant lands. The
menace manifests as character assassination or as disinformation in the case of
the health advisory misattributed to oncologist VP Gangadharan and as baseless
story of ill-treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The list
is unending. Such blatant misuse and abuse of the vital information
highway dent the credibility of the medium and when a real alert is on, people
tend to ignore it.
Is there
light at the end of the tunnel? “Not much, for now, because the internet is
such a loose ecosystem, making it virtually impossible to nail wrongdoers as
opposed to the conventional print or visual media, bound by established laws”,
says cyber media analyst V.K. Adarsh. A conventional media platform publishing
a libelous item can be hauled up in the court but not a social networking
website such as Facebook or Twitter because they are the marketplace! “You do
not prosecute the marketplace for letting a vendor sell rotten stuff. You can
prosecute the vendor, not the platform that allowed him to sell. Facebook is
also like the marketplace. In other words, you do not prosecute the highway for
an accident caused by a vehicle. Of course, a road unscientifically constructed
will make the contractor responsible. But that’s a different case”, says Mr
Adarsh.
He likens
the free-for-all social media to the early phase of motor vehicles when people
were scared by its accident potential than lured by its benefits. The world has
mastered the art of riding by the rule book that aberrations are disposed of by
law. The internet is also in the same predicament, which will get resolved in
course of time. For instance, a decade ago parents wondered what would happen
to children exposed to the internet. But such fears have proved to be unfounded
as users became aware of its pluses and minuses.
The early
phase of internet is similar to the village in Aravindan’s film, Oridathu,
where rustic folks are initially shaken by the arrival of electricity, and a
lorry breezing in from Tamil Nadu. They thought electricity and the lorry will
bust the peace and serenity of village life. Misapprehensions persisted till
they started enjoying the fruits of modernity. Internet users hopefully will
reach the same level of awareness soon. The IT Act of 2000 is among the least
amended, necessitating incorporation of more stringent provisions to tighten
the law and prosecute as many offenders as possible to lend a deterrence
effect.
“But that is
not easy. If those who commit a cyber crime are available within the country,
prosecution is plausible. But the internet does not respect geographic
boundaries, leaving prosecution virtually impossible in many cases. There’s no
way out because most cyber offences are the handiwork of socially challenged
people. Recent instances of mob reaction to cyber misinformation actually hold
a mirror up to society. The internet reflects us”, says Mr Adarsh. The way out
is to tighten the law, tighten screws on offenders without in any way undermining
the democratic nature of the internet.
There are
three internet gateways at Mumbai, Chennai and Agartala. “It is internet which
invigorates democracy, even by allowing whistleblowers to sell their wares
through fake IDs. You can trace out the source. But the corrupt elements nailed
by the expose thru fake ID will not pursue the source, fearing further
exposure. The whistleblower also enjoys the backing of millions negating a
possible reprisal by the corrupt”, says Mr Adarsh. Strengthen democracy but
also respect individual privacy and citizen rights, adds cyber expert J.
Murali. Many will continue to suffer in silence. Those whose privacy is
outraged might become introverts and even commit suicide when they can no more
face social repercussions.
Celebrities
and public officials even find their phones to be useless if someone discloses
their numbers. The average user can opt to weed out dubious and suspicious
accounts and when many do it on a regular basis, the generation and forwards of
misinformation will slow down. Schools can start to sensitize students quite
early on, on the proper use of the social media. End users should become
more sensible and discreet in using content and stop forwarding
likes to all and sundry. But there is no mechanism to stop those who
derive vicarious pleasure out of someone’s miseries or misfortunes.
Child-lifters
Social media was abuzz with reports of a kidnapping racket being active in
Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram. There were pictures of gypsies posted
on social media and WhatsApp, portraying them as part of child-lifter gangs.
Similarly, fake messages were spread about rag pickers and junk collectors from
neighbouring states, suggesting they had come in with the intention of
kidnapping children.
Panic among
migrant workers
Last year
400 migrant workers fled Kozhikode after a fake video clip showed local people
lynching a worker. A fake audio clip on WhatsApp said a Bengali worker was
beaten badly by locals in Kozhikode. Later DGP Loknath Behara came with a
counter blitz on the social media through his recorded messages in Hindi and
Bangla.
North-Eastern
people targeted
In 2012
thousands of migrant worker form North-East fled Bengaluru due to rumours that
they are going to be targeted. Rumours were spread through WhatsApp and other
social network platforms.
Black
stickers
WhatsApp
messages and Facebook posts about black stickers pasted on windows of houses
continue to create panic. Posts say stickers are being pasted by child-lifters
to identify houses with children and also by burglars for marking targets.
However, glass traders clarified that stickers were used to prevent damage to
glass panes during transportation.
Seven
lynched in Jharkhand
Last year
seven persons were lynched by villagers in Jharkhand following rumours spread
through WhatsApp about child-lifters on the prowl. The message in Hindi said
"suspected child-lifters are carrying sedatives, injections, spray, cotton
and small towels. They speak Hindi and Bangla.” Later it was found that
the seven victims had come to attend a ceremony and it was a case of mistaken
identity which led to the horrific incident.
Fake message
on cancer cure
Cancer
physician V P Gangadharan had filed a complaint with Cyber Cell over a fake
WhatsApp doing the rounds in his name, claiming lime juice is enough to cure
cancer and there was no need for chemotherapy. All these messages carried
Gangadharan's photo.
Vaccination
scare
Fake
Facebook posts and WhatsApp app messages were widely circulated to create
confusion among the people about Measles Rubella Vaccination campaign in the
state. The campaign created huge confusion in minds of people, adversely
affecting the vaccination programme, especially in Malappuram.
Robbery
A fabricated
WhatsApp message circulated extensively in Chennai about a woman robbing
housewives on the pretext of being LPG cylinder technician spread panic. Later
the police intervened to check the spread of the fake message and nab those
behind the racket.
Dog meat
Fake
messages about hotels selling dog meat in parts of the state were part of a
devious campaign against hotels doing good business.
Source | http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/150218/beware-scaremongers-on-social-media.html
Regards
Prof. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library &
Information Science (NET Qualified)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge
Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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