Social media posts under govt scanner

In the wake of the July 1 Gulshan attack, the government has decided on a massive revamp of the security protocol of social media sites. The aim is not only to stop radicalised sermons from getting circulated but also to pinpoint the sources of such messages. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already written to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to block pages, posts and videos containing radicalised interpretations of Islam, which could potentially put confused youth on a path of terrorism, said BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmud.
The BTRC has requested these sites to especially block the pages, posts and videos of Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik. Peace TV, Dr Naik’s channel, has already been banned in Bangladesh. The telecom regulator has also asked the social media giants to block the posts, pages and videos of other supposedly radicalised Islamic preachers like Anjem Choudary and Shami Witness. Some of the Gulshan attackers apparently used to follow their sermons.
Mahmud said that in June, the Bangladesh government had made an arrangement with Facebook, Google and Microsoft, where  the government could request any information from them so that in case of any “unexpected incident" and they would reply within 48 hours.
Mahmud also said that a Bangladesh Computer Security Incident Response Team (BDCSIRT) team has been formed to identify radicalised material on social media. Furthermore, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) is also stopping radicalised comments directed against the state and any religion with the help of the International Internet Gateway (IIG). The BTRC chairman also mentioned that an internet safety solution system is in progress to reduce cybercrimes, ensure surveillance and strengthen the system. An official with the post and telecommunications (MoPT) ministry said that the government plans to bring more state-of-the-art equipment to widen its net of surveillance on communication.
He said after the Gulshan incident, people have been panicking about more such attacks in the near future. To allay their fears and to identify potential terrorists, there is no option but to increase surveillance over the social media and mobile communications.
A cyber security expert, however, told The Independent that it is not feasible to monitor all posts on Facebook or Twitter as part of a screening process to identify radicalised persons, especially if people do not post under their real names.
The expert pointed out the enormity of the task. “Just look at your personal Facebook newsfeed and you can see hundreds of posts ranging from the mundane to the controversial or maybe even inflammatory. Now multiply that number by millions of users in Bangladesh and you’ll get the idea of how complex analysing such data would be,” he said.
Social media users expressed doubts over whether their privacy would be compromised. “The idea of the government monitoring our private posts is disturbing. I also believe that it’s our democratic right to express our thoughts on social media. I don’t support radicalised preaching at all. But what I fear is that the government would target me if I post something against it. It’s not democratic,” said a private university student.
An employee of a private firm told The Independent that screening on social media sites to find terrorists would be like finding a needle in a haystack. A recent report published on the CBS news website, however, said that sites like Facebook and Twitter do have measures in place to monitor speech and posts that could potentially be linked to acts of terrorism. “Violent threats and the promotion of terrorism deserve no place on Twitter and our rules make that clear,” a Twitter spokesperson wrote to CBS News.
“We have teams around the world actively investigating reports of rule violations, and they work with law enforcement entities around the world when appropriate,” went the message.

Social media posts under govt scanner

In the wake of the July 1 Gulshan attack, the government has decided on a massive revamp of the security protocol of social media sites. The aim is not only to stop radicalised sermons from getting circulated but also to pinpoint the sources of such messages. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has already written to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to block pages, posts and videos containing radicalised interpretations of Islam, which could potentially put confused youth on a path of terrorism, said BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmud. The BTRC has requested these sites to especially block the pages, posts and videos of Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik. Peace TV, Dr Naiks channel, has already been banned in Bangladesh. The telecom regulator has also asked the social media giants to block the posts, pages and videos of other supposedly radicalised Islamic preachers like Anjem Choudary and Shami Witness. Some of the Gulshan attackers apparently used to follow their sermons. Mahmud said that in June, the Bangladesh government had made an arrangement with Facebook, Google and Microsoft, where the government could request any information from them so that in case of any unexpected incident and they would reply within 48 hours. Mahmud also said that a Bangladesh Computer Security Incident Response Team (BDCSIRT) team has been formed to identify radicalised material on social media. Furthermore, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) is also stopping radicalised comments directed against the state and any religion with the help of the International Internet Gateway (IIG). The BTRC chairman also mentioned that an internet safety solution system is in progress to reduce cybercrimes, ensure surveillance and strengthen the system. An official with the post and telecommunications (MoPT) ministry said that the government plans to bring more state-of-the-art equipment to widen its net of surveillance on communication. He said after the Gulshan incident, people have been panicking about more such attacks in the near future. To allay their fears and to identify potential terrorists, there is no option but to increase surveillance over the social media and mobile communications. A cyber security expert, however, told The Independent that it is not feasible to monitor all posts on Facebook or Twitter as part of a screening process to identify radicalised persons, especially if people do not post under their real names. The expert pointed out the enormity of the task. Just look at your personal Facebook newsfeed and you can see hundreds of posts ranging from the mundane to the controversial or maybe even inflammatory. Now multiply that number by millions of users in Bangladesh and youll get the idea of how complex analysing such data would be, he said. Social media users expressed doubts over whether their privacy would be compromised. The idea of the government monitoring our private posts is disturbing. I also believe that its our democratic right to express our thoughts on social media. I dont support radicalised preaching at all. But what I fear is that the government would target me if I post something against it. Its not democratic, said a private university student. An employee of a private firm told The Independent that screening on social media sites to find terrorists would be like finding a needle in a haystack. A recent report published on the CBS news website, however, said that sites like Facebook and Twitter do have measures in place to monitor speech and posts that could potentially be linked to acts of terrorism. Violent threats and the promotion of terrorism deserve no place on Twitter and our rules make that clear, a Twitter spokesperson wrote to CBS News. We have teams around the world actively investigating reports of rule violations, and they work with law enforcement entities around the world when appropriate, went the message.