TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Freedom of expression that thrives through the internet must be understood as a form of limited rights. Then how do you respond to a commonly used statement: ”It’s my account, I’m free to say what I want?”
“That’s a common illusion 20 years ago when the internet was freshly introduced to the general public. Nowadays, [that statement] is outdated,” says a social media activist, Damar Juniarto.
Siracusa principles are used in the international law to limit the freedom of expression, which must not be used to declare war or spread religious, ethnic, and race-based hatred and discrimination intending to disrupt national order.
That principle is starting to take effect in the cyber world including social media.
Damar, an activist from SAFEnet organization, argues that social media providers must indirectly restrict contents that violate the international law.
Another activist, Enda Nasution explained that user generated content providers such as Twitter, Google, Facebook, Wordpress, Tumblr, Kaskus, and Sebangsa, have the right to erase contents that are considered to violate any clause that has been agreed by the users upon signing up.
“If you don’t like it or don’t agree [with the terms of agreement], well, just leave it and don’t use it,” Enda said.
An account termination based on reports from other users go through a long process. Twitter, for example, will follow-up any reports made by users against accounts that are considered to violate the terms of the agreement by either deleting or inactivating the account.
Enda says that if there is a social media account that is currently being suspended, it is probably because the account violated the terms of service agreement in the first place.
Previously, the hashtag #TwitterIDNotSafe emerged following the suspension of a religious leader’s Twitter account. The majority of users thought that it was not the right move.
Twitter Indonesia's representative refused to comment on the matter.
ANTARA
