Kazakhstan: Journalists ask the authorities not to tighten control over social networks
Kazakhstani journalists and human rights activists have appealed to the authorities demanding that they refuse to adopt amendments that would tighten control over social networks.
As ACCA has already reported, deputies of the Parliament of Kazakhstan approved amendments to legislative acts on the protection of the rights of the child, education, information and informatization. Among the proposed amendments is to oblige social networks to remove illegal content, first of all, we are talking about Internet harassment and bullying within 24 hours from the date of receipt of the order from the authorized bodies.
“We urge not to adopt this bill. These proposals threaten to infringe human rights and interests. They allow the Ministry of Information and Social Development, under the pretext of protecting children from online bullying, to demand the removal of almost any content, limiting access to the entire foreign Internet platform in case of refusal. These amendments are unconstitutional, because they contradict the Constitution of Kazakhstan,” was written in the appeal of journalists and human rights activists, published on the website of MediaNet international center of journalism.
According to the authors of the appeal, the amendments, if adopted, will not only restrict the rights and freedoms of citizens, but also cause material damage to users.
“Instagram users are almost 12 million Kazakhstanis, some of whom use it to do business. For most entrepreneurs and social projects, the main channels for promotion and communication with the audience are in social networks and instant messengers. It’s known that every hour of blocking the Internet causes great damage to users and the national economy. So adopting such a bill, which even implies the hypothetical possibility of blocking, seems to be an excessive and counterproductive initiative,” the authors of the appeal explain.
They also note that there are more effective and logical ways to address cyberbullying, including platform-specific mechanisms, advocacy approaches, the work of psychologists and security software, and educating children and their parents about digital hygiene and safety.
“This bill, if adopted, also threatens to cause irreparable damage to the international reputation of Kazakhstan, as it’s an analogue of the most odious laws and practices, in particular, in Russia and China. These and many other reasons force us to categorically oppose and demand that the authorities of Kazakhstan exclude these norms from the bill,” journalists and human rights activists sum up.
