There is no argument about the notion that the internet is a double-edged sword, and how judiciously we handle it is what most of the time determines what we get out of it.
However, times have changed; people have changed. And so have the illegal trades which once were limited to usual clients and conservative methods. The entire country saw the degree to which such trades have evolved with the use of the internet, when an organised group that trafficked a 15-year-old girl online was nabbed by the Police, and the spate of arrests that followed shows that there are real criminals hiding behind computer screens.
Why did we not see those criminals, or why are we not giving adequate attention to real crimes taking place online, is a concern in a context where Sri Lanka has a number of institutions tasked with looking into information technology-related matters. This points towards the obvious assumption: Is it because of an attitudinal issue that we wait until online crimes take place without taking pre-emptive measures?
Sri Lanka has that issue; we look at the tip of the iceberg, because we do not have to put any effort to see it. We criticise it, and eventually be happy about the fact that it is small enough to manage or ignore. In fact, strong laws and enthusiastic institutions are just one aspect of this issue. According to women’s rights activists The Morning has spoken to, the attitudes of those tasked with enforcing the law is a worse issue than the lack of laws.
The aforementioned racket was unravelled in a context where Sri Lanka is looking into reforming and updating laws to address hate speech and fake and misleading news circulated on social media. As a whole, it is a welcome move; however, some fear that it might affect the people’s constitutional right to the freedom of expression, which is based on valid arguments and experiences. A country putting all its efforts to identify a cartoonist that offends a politician, a post that may contain untrue information as a result of genuine miscommunication, or a heading that inadvertently conveys something unintended, without being as keen on curbing bigger online crimes, is concerning.
That is not to say that fake news, misleading news, and hate speech are not issues that deserve attention or action – they are as real as any other issue. However, when it comes to addressing misleading news and hate speech, especially those circulated on social media platforms, Sri Lanka is still at a very immature stage, as the country has not identified the nature of the parameters through which the suitability and outcomes of such content can be evaluated in a manner that does not breach a person’s (in this case, those who create or circulate such content) freedom of speech.
Fake news, on the other hand, is a different question, as it involves more of a “true or false” approach, as opposed to a qualitative approach used in the case of misleading news or hate speech. It is also essential that Sri Lanka treats all fake news equally, instead of punishing severely those who propagate fake news which paints the Government in bad light while ignoring the spreaders of fake news which furthers the Government’s agenda. The application of the law against fake news so far does not inspire confidence about this equality element.
At the end of the day, this is an intricate and subjective but necessary discussion. However, while Sri Lanka was immersing itself in the argument of fake news and hate speech, it has lost sight of the bigger picture, i.e. fake news or hate speech are not the greatest dangers the country is facing as far as its use of the internet is concerned. Over the years, much bigger issues such as cyberbullying, blackmail, scams, hacking, online sexual harassment, and sexploitation have been growing under our noses.
The aforementioned incident of the 15-year-old girl is merely a sign that as a country, we have been so focused on hunting sheep that we have missed the wolves, who have now grown to take advantage of our weaknesses. Ultimately, it was children who were devoured by these wolves.The real online culprits
05 Jul 2021
The real online culprits
05 Jul 2021
There is no argument about the notion that the internet is a double-edged sword, and how judiciously we handle it is what most of the time determines what we get out of it.
However, times have changed; people have changed. And so have the illegal trades which once were limited to usual clients and conservative methods. The entire country saw the degree to which such trades have evolved with the use of the internet, when an organised group that trafficked a 15-year-old girl online was nabbed by the Police, and the spate of arrests that followed shows that there are real criminals hiding behind computer screens.
Why did we not see those criminals, or why are we not giving adequate attention to real crimes taking place online, is a concern in a context where Sri Lanka has a number of institutions tasked with looking into information technology-related matters. This points towards the obvious assumption: Is it because of an attitudinal issue that we wait until online crimes take place without taking pre-emptive measures?
Sri Lanka has that issue; we look at the tip of the iceberg, because we do not have to put any effort to see it. We criticise it, and eventually be happy about the fact that it is small enough to manage or ignore. In fact, strong laws and enthusiastic institutions are just one aspect of this issue. According to women’s rights activists The Morning has spoken to, the attitudes of those tasked with enforcing the law is a worse issue than the lack of laws.
The aforementioned racket was unravelled in a context where Sri Lanka is looking into reforming and updating laws to address hate speech and fake and misleading news circulated on social media. As a whole, it is a welcome move; however, some fear that it might affect the people’s constitutional right to the freedom of expression, which is based on valid arguments and experiences. A country putting all its efforts to identify a cartoonist that offends a politician, a post that may contain untrue information as a result of genuine miscommunication, or a heading that inadvertently conveys something unintended, without being as keen on curbing bigger online crimes, is concerning.
That is not to say that fake news, misleading news, and hate speech are not issues that deserve attention or action – they are as real as any other issue. However, when it comes to addressing misleading news and hate speech, especially those circulated on social media platforms, Sri Lanka is still at a very immature stage, as the country has not identified the nature of the parameters through which the suitability and outcomes of such content can be evaluated in a manner that does not breach a person’s (in this case, those who create or circulate such content) freedom of speech.
Fake news, on the other hand, is a different question, as it involves more of a “true or false” approach, as opposed to a qualitative approach used in the case of misleading news or hate speech. It is also essential that Sri Lanka treats all fake news equally, instead of punishing severely those who propagate fake news which paints the Government in bad light while ignoring the spreaders of fake news which furthers the Government’s agenda. The application of the law against fake news so far does not inspire confidence about this equality element.
At the end of the day, this is an intricate and subjective but necessary discussion. However, while Sri Lanka was immersing itself in the argument of fake news and hate speech, it has lost sight of the bigger picture, i.e. fake news or hate speech are not the greatest dangers the country is facing as far as its use of the internet is concerned. Over the years, much bigger issues such as cyberbullying, blackmail, scams, hacking, online sexual harassment, and sexploitation have been growing under our noses.
The aforementioned incident of the 15-year-old girl is merely a sign that as a country, we have been so focused on hunting sheep that we have missed the wolves, who have now grown to take advantage of our weaknesses. Ultimately, it was children who were devoured by these wolves.Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!