FACEBOOK recently issued an apology over its role in the deadly communal unrest in Sri Lanka two years ago. The social networking site engaged an independent inquiry into the matter and found that hate speech and rumours spread on its platform had led to violence against a community
As users of Facebook we believe this is not the first time or the only incident where posts have triggered unrest. People have been detained in Malaysia for spreading rumours or using hate speech.
Should governments legally hold the social networking platform responsible for being a source of such negative news? If individuals can be charged for such matters, why can’t the platform be held responsible?
Facebook should put in place effective monitors to control hate speech, rumours, defamation and misinformation. Though the content is from individual users, the social networking site should play its part to filter and censor content that can cause harm.
Laws should be amended to regulate and control social media as publishers of content. We believe social media platforms should play their roles as socially responsible corporate bodies to strike a balance between striving for profitability and benefiting society.
Stalwart Malaysian
Puchong
