Drop social media-OTT draft regulation: 45 orgs write to BTRC
It will erode digital security, put human rights at risk, they say
Forty-five organisations wrote to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to drop the draft regulation for digital, social media, and OTT platforms, saying, it "imperils people's freedom of expression, and right to privacy, undermines encryption and weakens online safety."
The letter, which addressed the chairperson, commissioners, and staff of BTRC, was published on the website of Human Rights Watch yesterday (March 7, 2022).
The undersigned organisations, in the letter, urged BTRC to protect people's rights and freedoms, and enable an open, free and secure internet in Bangladesh. "If enforced, the regulations will have a deleterious impact on human rights, and put journalists, dissidents, activists and vulnerable communities, in particular, at greater risk," the organisations wrote.
"Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms" (draft) published online on February 3 -- seeks to implement a content governance framework devoid of adequate judicial oversight, clarity and predictability, and integration of human rights and due process, the letter said.
The draft regulation is inconsistent with the international human rights framework, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it added.
"Efforts by telecommunications regulators to change regulations to address concerns around 'over-the-top' (OTT) services can have significant negative impacts on human rights as well as broader principles such as network neutrality, if done improperly," the organisation said.
"…The BTRC must frame its consultation around the exact problems it wishes to address and engage with stakeholders on what regulatory options are best suited to address them, rather than forcing through one, overbroad set of regulations," the letter mentioned.
The signatory organisations include Access Now, Article 19, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, Committee to Protect Journalists, Global Voices, Human Rights Watch, PEN America and Wikimedia Foundation.