With the increasing number of users, the number of posts on social networking sites with malicious content has alarmingly been increasing in recent years. Virtual space has become a sanctuary from where vested quarters conducting different sorts of offences like spreading rumours and hatred by posting fake and fabricated news, trapping young people into doing illegal activities and maintaining contacts hiding their trace. The offenders are able to remain traceless because of the absence of necessary laws, which has also been giving benefits to social media giants for doing business in the country without any investment and accountability, depriving the government of VAT and tax, and siphoning off a huge amount of money every year.
To halt the irregularities that have taken place in the virtual space, it is indispensable to reform existing laws or enact new laws. It is unacceptable that social media giants are doing business in our country without bringing any economic benefit for the country. They are even conducting their business establishing offices in other countries and rarely helping our law enforcement agencies to control the crimes that take place using their sites.
There is no ground to keep anyone unaccountable for their wrongdoings, whether they are users or media giants. We should keep in mind that our market is too large to ignore for the social networking site owners. They will surely make every possible step to keep their business intact in a market consisting of more than millions of users. Their blithe disregard for the government request is nothing but the result of the absence of tough action of the latter.
It is quite surprising that the government had started providing internet facilities to the citizens but did not think of probable misuse of it and, therefore, did not take any preventive measures in this regard. However, it is good to know that the authorities have at last started working on formulating new laws that will cover all irregularities and crimes relating to social network sites. We expect the law will be enacted very soon following speedy drafting procedures. The sooner we get the tools, the earlier we can tackle crimes on social media.
