Net caution

Digital communication is now mainstream. It may have to follow the norm of reasonable restrictions

Digital communication is now mainstream. It may have to follow the norm of reasonable restrictions

It is said that you shouldnt believe everything you read on the internet,because 68 per cent of it is only 22 per cent true,according to 73 per cent of users. These figures are apocryphal,of course,like a lot of internet content. But actually,the reverse is true users of digital communication networks like social media and SMS do not,or cannot,verify its authenticity and assume it to be largely true. Especially when it reaches them via social media,courtesy of someone they know and trust. But since the chain of trust does not extend back to the original source,the internet is a safe haven for malicious agendas. Now,India is witnessing the most successful malicious operation of all time,as a wave of SMS and internet threats sets the Northeast apart from the rest of the country.

Governments,ISPs,hosting companies and owners of websites and social media are responding to the threat like automata. India has blamed Pakistan,which predictably wants proof. About 250 Web pages will now be blocked,but that is a broken method. Indias home ministry has accused social media of being uncooperative. The charge may be justified,since internet media follows ironclad guidelines for taking down content. The aggrieved party must petition,citing evidence,and follow due process before content can be pulled down. These processes were created to defend free speech and fend off censorship.

However,the present debate is not about free speech versus censorship,or the dissenter versus the government. It is a public safety issue that affects millions of people and has huge economic costs. It is,in fact,a matter of national interest. In such a situation,all the stakeholders need to step away from the free speech paradigm,which is irrelevant. Social media users should flag troublemakers aggressively and site owners should act suo motu,even if it means taking down material for a brief period. That is not censorship. It is caution. Digital communication,which used to be a space apart,the final frontier of free speech,is now mainstream. It should follow the norms of the offline world,which expects reasonable temporary restrictions on behaviour in difficult times.

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