Facebook and Twitter: People’s Swords

In the presence of social networks, people are dumbfounded by its power of reaching the world without limitation. In other words, a borderless world where they could live as a different person from reality.  A boy can become a girl, a man can become a woman, a husband can become a single daddy and so on. These scenarios are continuingly happened because there is an easy and open way to do so. It’s just as simple as abc, by typing the address www.facebook.com or www.twitter.com and click to sign up button. An individual can make an account as to what they prefer. No restriction, no identity confirmation, no minimum requirements. It might have minimum requirements but there is no restriction. Turning around is possible without being caught.

However, why does it matter? There is an issue of identity of user but, it’s not the purpose of mentioning this so called ‘easy-method-of-impersonating’. The main issue here is the reason of making fake account and how it affects Malaysians. I would like to address the words of ‘defamation and freedom of expression’. Facebook and twitter are not the only social networks in the world, but here in Malaysia, Facebook and Twitter are rated as the most top social network fields that have been using widely by Malaysians!

Every word posted in the Facebook and Twitter can be viewed by thousands of people in any minutes. It’s the fastest way of spreading.

Someone could have been making a fake account to defame others.

Facebook and Twitter have become people’s swords with their own functions to share, to tag and to update status and so on. People openly express their opinions and criticisms. Emotions run high sometimes and that spontaneous compulsion in people to say something really mean about someone else or to make up stories which do not even exists about someone else can be very real. However, the effects come afterwards may shake up the title of ‘harmony and peaceful multiracial country in the world’ especially when the social network fields have become a part of internal war.

In cyber law, it may result in big legal problem under section 499-502 of Malaysian Penal Code (MPC) and section 233 of Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which people who involve in defamation can be punished under these sections. Those who are convicted for defamation may have either two years imprisonment or compound or both.

Common thing to do in every single day is not easy to stop. Even though there is law to control cyber-crimes, the rates of cybercrimes extraordinarily increase. Whose fault is this? It’s ours.

Farah Hannan binti Ahmad Sanusi