Government Mulls New Legislation to Tackle Social Media Misuse - December 2024

Social media is both a boon and a bane. Many use it for simple harmless reasons, but others seek to use it for taking advantage of others. Parents, always do a fact-check and verify the reports seen on social media with valid trusted sources. If there is no valid source, the information could be fake and written for malicious reasons. This also doubles as advice for your children and their browsing activities. They may stumble upon harmful information unknowingly, and it is important to properly educate your children about discerning fact from fiction. The system would aim to ensure that the spread of false information would not be too rampant. Social Media Misuse There is a possibility of new legislation or a parliamentary committee to curb misuse of social media. If left unchecked, it may cause an uncontrollable spread of hatred and extremist ideologies. It was about time for such a system to be created, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo. The system would aim to ensure that the spread of false information would not be too rampant, to the extent of causing disharmony and chaos, reported Bernama. He said that the government is looking into several proposals that would not only include new legislation, but also regulation. This newly created industry would have a system where a report is determined to be true or false before it is spread on social media. He added that this would take some time to achieve, and that a press conference would be held when their decision is reached. With such measures in place, it would encourage more mature and responsible journalism. Accountability and Ethics Other than that, Gobind’s speech also touched on factors that can combat fake news and social media misuse. He emphasised on the importance of legislation and other measures such as strengthening media professionalism, ethical journalism, and establishing self-regulatory frameworks and mechanisms. With such measures in place, it would encourage more mature and responsible journalism, as well as greater accountability and healthy checks and balances among media practitioners and their reports. He also said that countries such as the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Singapore had already taken steps to regulate social media. Gobind hoped that all parties involved could work together to create a system where press freedom is preserved and responsible journalism could strike a balance with governance, media, and human rights. For more information about parenting and family, please visit Motherhood.com.my.

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