Creating a media policy for cyberspace<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta, vmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
The Internet is an amazing cyberhighway of information. People
\ncan access practically anything online, from the latest news to
\ne-mail greetings from loved ones. However, with the vast openness
\nand freewheeling nature of the World Wide Web come dubious sites
\nthat may upset more then a few people.<\/p>\n
There are countless numbers of questionable websites online,
\nranging from pornography and gambling to the politically
\nsubversive. This type of content has raised the concerns of
\nparents, corporations and governments, all for their own
\nindividual reasons. Parents want to protect their children from
\nwhat they may regard as objectionable Internet sites,
\ncorporations wish to make sure their image and reputation online
\nare not tarnished, and governments (or at least some of them)
\nwould like to ensure that all news and information disseminated
\nto their people comes from state-approved sources.<\/p>\n
The Internet ignores all that. National borders, business
\nconcerns and parental guidance all go out of the window when it
\ncomes to the 'Net. Anyone, anywhere, can easily put up their own
\nsite, preaching their own gospel. So how can the world make sure
\nthat the web can be a safe, transparent and trustworthy medium?
\nWho decides what is permitted and objectionable? And how can we
\ncreate a media policy for the Internet age?<\/p>\n
These were some of the questions pondered during a workshop
\nsponsored by the Asia Europe Foundation (asef.org) in Singapore
\nrecently. The foundation, whose purpose is to promote a better
\nunderstanding between the citizens of Asia and Europe, grappled
\nwith this topic by inviting decision makers from governments, the
\nInternet industry, media and user communities throughout the
\nregion.<\/p>\n
According to Joseph Yap, public affairs executive of the Asia
\nEurope Foundation, his organization is keen on establishing a
\nprocess of converging thinkers and media policy makers to discuss
\nthe issues and share their experiences. Thus, everyone can learn
\nfrom each other and avoid the pitfalls one country has faced.<\/p>\n
One of the Indonesian participants, Rudy Rusdiah, chairman of
\nthe Association of Community Internet Centers (apwkomitel.org),
\nsaid that one of the most pressing issues, in his opinion, was
\nthe trade-off between censorship and freedom of speech. What
\ncontent is harmful and what illegal? What institution should be
\nresponsible for such matters: industry, community or government,
\nor a combination of all three?<\/p>\n
Rudy also pointed out that media policy in Indonesia was still
\nrather confusing. Topics, such as the broadcasting law and
\nregulation of frequency allocation, were considered by some to be
\nrather restrictive toward expansion of the Internet industry in
\nIndonesia. There were also questions about the regulation of game
\ncenters and local Internet content.<\/p>\n
Ambassador Delfin Colome, Executive Director of ASEF, said
\nthat in the end it would be users who would decide what content
\nshould appear on their computers. "It's a matter of balancing
\nliberty with responsibility," he said.<\/p>\n
As such, the roundtable discussion reviewed topics such as
\nuser-based, web-filtering systems, voluntary codes of conduct and
\nthe nurturing of media literacy toward creating a globally
\nacceptable media policy for the benefit of the Internet
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Using Internet filters, such as the ICRA system (icra.org),
\nusers are able to allow or disallow access to websites based on
\nthe objective information provided by the system and the
\nsubjective preferences of the user. It does not rate Internet
\ncontent, as ICRA makes no value judgments about the sites.<\/p>\n
The roundtable also discussed the creation of voluntary codes
\nof conduct to be followed by the Internet industry, such as
\nInternet Service Providers (ISP) and content websites. These
\nrules should take into account the needs of all parties
\nconcerned, from the business goals of the industry, to the
\nsecurity issues of the government. They should, however, be
\nflexible enough to keep up with social and technological
\ndevelopments in the world.<\/p>\n
Perhaps one of the most important issues reviewed is the
\nfostering of media literacy, in which people will be able to
\nbecome more active in their quest for knowledge. Instead of
\nrelying on a few sources of information, they would be savvy
\nenough to plow through the massive amounts of data online to
\narrive at their own conclusions and perhaps publish their
\nfindings online, sharing their thoughts with others. Considering
\nthe extremely contradictory points of view in the mass media
\nregarding the war in Iraq or coverage of news about Severe Acute
\nRespiratory Syndrome, it would be helpful for the community to
\ngather as much information as it can.<\/p>\n
Some people may think that the creation of policies for the
\nInternet is not a good idea. The 'Net should be free and
\nunrestricted, they say: Any objectionable content is the price of
\ncomplete freedom. However, at some point, someone will try to
\ngovern or control it, perhaps using their position in the global
\nmarketplace to advance their interests over others.<\/p>\n
The anarchic nature of the Internet must be tamed. As such,
\nthe recommendations of the Asia Europe Foundation roundtable
\ndiscussion are to be followed up by the participants in their
\nhome countries. It is hoped that this multilateral approach can
\nassist the evolution of the Internet medium to the benefit of
\nall.<\/p>",
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