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Fake News is a threat to democracy & Human rights- Conference Speaker
 
New Delhi January 31:-
Fake News is a threat to democracy and human rights and the large tech companies need to be brought under regulation to stop its spread, said the speakers at an international seminar organised on this topic in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Senior journalist Saleem Samad highlighted the fact that new media technology has contributed greatly to the spread of fake news in the world. He advocated social and educational efforts to check the spread of fake news. Media researcher Arefin Mizan, cited data to show that fake news corroded people’s trust in democratic processes and institutions. Referring to the gruesome Ramu attack on Budhhists in 2012 and other similar incidents in Bangladesh started by misuse of social media to speak fake news, Arefin Mizan advocated the use of tools of Artificial Intelligence (AI), predictive technology and legislative measures to check the spread of fake news.

Noted scholar Prof. Abu Barakat analysed the concept of fake news and concluded that it is not possible to define it objectively. Drawing from incidents like the US elections, Brexit in UK and election of Uhuru Kenyatta in Kenya, Prof. Barkat said legal measures, corporate commitments, and civil society actions are needed to combat fake news.

Founder and research Director of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Arghya Sengupta from India stressed upon the need to bring the big-tech companies under government regulation. Calling the recent changes in Indian laws regulating big tech companies as a step in the right direction, he said that the concept of ‘safe harbour', absolving tech companies of the responsibility of the content carried on their platform has outlived its utility. The social media intermediary should be made liable for the fake news so that they take proactive steps to control its spread. However, he cautioned against criminalising the liability. He said over-regulating the social media to control fake news would have a chilling effect while under-regulating it would mean bad content will drive away the good content. So, there is a need to strike a balance between the two, said Arghya Sengupta.

Scholars, journalists, diplomats, civil society representatives, bureaucrats, NGO and INGO officials, UN officials, and human rights activists participated in the open discussion session. Earlier, Chairman of the Empowerment through Law of the Common People (ELCOP) which organised the Seminar and former head of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission Professor Mizanur Rahman welcomed the participants and outlined the scope of the discussion during the conference.
 
 
 
 
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