KATHMANDU, Aug 6: The government has initiated phase-wise consultations on legitimately regulating and managing social networking sites upon the request and suggestions from the general public.

The government has started seeking suggestions through consultations following the demand made by distinguished personalities from various walks of life for regulation and management of social networking sites citing they have suffered irreparable damages due to baseless, malicious and slanderous comments against them that appear on the social media.

In this connection, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) has started consultations with the experts on social sites and electronic media. The ministry is preparing discuss the issue with the representatives of the Meta Company which oversees social media in South Asia on August 10. Meta Company is the mother organization of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp. It is also holding consultations with social sites operators of Nepal as well.

Press Council Nepal is also holding discussions on this topic.

The use and misuse of social networking sites is on the rise along with the expansion of information and communication technology. In this scenario, regulating fake news, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech has emerged as a challenge.

Although the Press Council Nepal has the responsibility of monitoring the media at present, no agency has been legally assigned with the responsibility of monitoring individual posts on social networking sites.

Political parties' leaders, civil servants, artistes, civil society leaders, professors, teachers, businesspersons, civil rights campaigners and media persons and people from various walks of life have been requesting for bringing legislation for regulating and managing social networking sites.

MoCIT spokesperson and joint secretary Netra Raj Subedi said the Ministry has started consultations with the stakeholders based on the requests coming from various sectors calling for regulating and managing the social sites.

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