Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Saturday, 14 July 2018

A NECESSARY EVIL ? YES , WITH SAFEGUARDS


Social Media Hub ?  Where is the need  ?

--------------------------------------------


Today’s papers carry following headlines :


‘Surveillance state’: SC raps government over WhatsApp tracking 

Monitoring online data: SC expresses concern at plans for social media hub, likens it to 'surveillance state' 

 

Extracts from News papers :

"A technology platform is needed to collect digital media chatter from all core social media platforms as well as digital platforms such as news, blogs... In a single system providing real-time insights, metrics and other valuable data," the tender document says.
Under the project, media persons would be employed on contractual basis in each district to be the "eyes and ears" of the government and provide real-time updates from the ground.
The tender document says the platform is expected to provide automated reports, tactical insights and comprehensive work-flows to initiate engagement across digital channels.
"The platform maybe used to disseminate content and hence, should support publishing features," the document says, adding the platform needs to power a real-time New Media Command Room," according to the tender document.

It adds that the tool must have “listening and responding capabilities” with respect to “standard digital channels” such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, email, and blogs and also be able to analyse sentiment of posts on social media as “positive, negative and neutral”.
According to Mahua Moitra, the social media analytical tool is expected to ‘listen’ to conversations on all major digital channels including email without any authorisation in violation of the Telegraph Act.


Before trying to answer the question “ Where is the need ? “ , let us understand ,

“  What is the need to monitor the Social Media ?  What is the purpose ? “

 

Not having read the tender document , I do not know whether it contains , a para or two , about the “ purpose / object “ behind government’s desire to create this Social Media Hub

 

At least , in the news reports sited above , there is no mention of any PURPOSE , nor any mention of exactly HOW the collected info / data will be used  !

 

Will it be used for a  BENEVOLENT  purpose ?  for the  BENEFIT  of all the citizens ?

 

Or , will it be used , to catch and punish , only those citizens who engage in some kind of ANTI-SOCIAL activities ?

 

In such a case , what is a comprehensive definition of an ANTI-SOCIAL activity ?

 

Does a mere THOUGHT which is not in congruence with the government policy , constitute an “ anti-social activity “  ?

 

Does an expression ( tweet / post / photo / article / comment etc ), which hurts the feelings of any section of the Society, an “ anti-social activity “ ?

 

 

And this “ lack of clarity of purpose “ , is what makes this initiative SCARY  !

 

How come there is no preamble to the tender document which reads :

 

 

PREAMBLE :

 

“  The entire idea behind Social Media Hub is to “ nip in the bud / pre-empt “ any potentially ANTI-SOCIAL activity [ even at the level of “ Man ( thoughts ) “ , but certainly at the level of “ Wachan ( speech / expression )”  ] , before it manifests itself in the form of “Karma “ ( Evil / Anti-Social ACTIONS )

 

Under no circumstance , will such monitoring of the Social Media Life / Presence / Existence, will be used to harass a person ( or a group of persons ), merely for their beliefs which are different from beliefs held by other ( majority or minority ) citizens , as long as such beliefs are not “ Anti Social “ as defined here under “

 

 

Where is the need  ?

 

If Government accepts that its purpose behind wanting to set up this Social Media Hub , is as I described above , the right way to go about is to implement :

 

Fast Forward to Future - 3 F   [ 20 Oct 2016 ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-hindu-mythology-brahma-creator.html

 

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen ( both from Google ) wrote in 2013

:  THE  NEW  DIGITAL  AGE  ( page : 181 ) :

 

Eventually, we will see the emergence of industry-wide standards


All digital platforms will forge a common policy with respect to dangerous extremist videos online, just as they have coalesced in establishing policies governing child pornography


There is a fine line between censorship and security, and we must create safeguards accordingly



THE INDUSTRY WILL WORK AS A WHOLE TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFIES VIDEOS WITH TERRORIST CONTENT



Some in the industry may even go so far as employing speech-recognition software that registers strings of keywords or facial recognition software that identifies known terrorists

 

 

I urge CJI , Shri Dipak Misraji to raise these questions during the next hearing

 

14  July  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

 



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