The High Court has directed Facebook and YouTube to remove 6 fake news and videos that are provocative and create unrest in public life. The Facebook-YouTube authorities and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have been asked to implement the order within two weeks.
Tuesday (August 30), The High Court bench of Justice Md. Khasruzzaman and Justice Md. Iqbal Kabir gave the order. At the same time, the court issued a ruling seeking to know why the inaction of the authorities to remove the provocative video that defames the reputation of the country should not be illegal.
Barrister Arafat Hossain Khan, a lawyer of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, heard on behalf of the writ in the preliminary hearing of the writ application made in this matter in the public interest. He said, in the application, we have identified 6 videos which undermine the image of the country and are provocative. One of these used pictures of 2013 and said Bangladesh was going to be Sri Lanka in 2022. In another video, it is said that RAB got money at the residences of many ministers and MPs.
Last Sunday (August 28), a writ was filed against Facebook and YouTube to remove fake news and videos that are provocative and create unrest in public life.
Earlier on August 21, Barrister Arafat Hossain Khan sent this legal notice on behalf of lawyer Nilufar Anjum and barrister Ashraful Islam.
The writ sought directions to Facebook and YouTube to remove fake news and videos that are provocative and create unrest in public life.
Shabnaz Rashid Dia, Head of Public Policy of Facebook and YouTube Bangladesh, Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Director General of Digital Security Agency, Inspector General of Police, et al., are defendants.
According to the writ, they have failed to monitor and control inflammatory posts on online and social media, which threaten the sovereignty and security of the state and the order of public life. The false information tarnishes the image of the State apparatus, which is a violation of Articles 27, 31, 38 and 44 of the Constitution. Sections 30, 64, 76, 97A of Bangladesh Telecommunication Act and Sections 8, 13, 16, 25 of Digital Security Act 2018 have been violated. Section 46 of the Information and Communication Technology Act has also been violated.
It is also said that Facebook and YouTube have recently been found not to be fully following their surveillance strategy. This is especially happening in Bangladesh. Such actions are being taken to present Bangladesh as a failed state to the international community and create instability in the country.
The writ claims that ignorance of the clear policy of BTRC and DSA and the recent regulation of Facebook-YouTube is spreading fake news and creating violence and unrest. These videos published on Facebook and YouTube are against their own policy.