2024-07-17 04:48:27
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak said that strict measures will be taken against Facebook, YouTube and other social media if the government does not cooperate in preventing misinformation and rumours. Apart from this, it will be forced to open offices and set up data centers in Bangladesh.
He said this at the BSRF dialogue organized by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the media center of the Secretariat on Tuesday (July 16).
BSRF President Fasih Uddin Mahtab presided over the dialogue conducted by General Secretary Masudul Haque.
The state minister said that inaction is going on to create chaos in the country by spreading rumours, ‘We will request everyone to be vigilant in this regard. Besides, I will also request the authorities of Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok to respect the laws of Bangladesh. To ensure the safety of our students and citizens of the country, considering religious sentiments and national security, they should not indulge in any kind of false rumours.’
He said, ‘They should cooperate with the government to prevent such rumours. If we do not get cooperation from them, we will be forced to take strict legal action against them too.’
For a long time, the government has been requesting Facebook’s liaison office in Bangladesh. But they are not responding. In this regard, the state minister said, ‘A large number of people in Bangladesh use Facebook. Considering the income that Facebook makes from here through legal and illegal means, they should give more importance to Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s laws, religious values, security, law and order and national security should be taken into account. Considering those things we have said many times. But we notice that they (social media) are only interested in legal and illegal income from Bangladesh, but we do not see any sense of responsibility and duty for Bangladesh.
The Minister of State for Posts and Telecommunications said, ‘We are also saying through you, we will write to them again in strict language. Register their offices, their data centers, all their activities in quick time. The data of the citizens of Bangladesh should be kept on the soil of Bangladesh. Because they are using my-your information to grow their business without our knowledge.’
‘What do we like, what kind of music do we eat, what kind of music do we like to listen to, what kind of movie do we like to watch, what kind of post do I post, what kind of clothes do I wear – these data they collect secretly and display advertisements in front of us. But we don’t get a share of the ad revenue they earn. They are giving our information to other companies without our permission. Legally it is a crime and humanly it is inhumane.’
Palak further said, ‘They are taking and using all the sensitive data of our citizens for business interests and they are making money from Bangladesh through legal and illegal ways. We cannot really accept them. That’s why we will force Facebook, TikTok, YouTube to register and open offices in Bangladesh, set up their data centers, and keep Bangladeshi data in Bangladesh.’