Digital Rights Weekly/Year 1/Issue 21

ECN Targets No, Not Again Campaign
The Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) has stepped up its effort to find people involved in social media campaigns, calling on voters not to vote tested and failed leaders. The commission has said that its attention has been drawn towards people launching on tirade or giving offensive statement against election candidates or political parties’ leaders in the public platform including social media sites. Expressing its concern over the ‘No, Not Again’ campaign directed against a section of top political leaders on social media platforms.
In a press release on October 26, the Commission stated that it was aware of some social media users who were posting inaccurate and biased information as well as making offensive remarks about candidates running in the upcoming elections. The Commission threatened to bring these offenders to justice. According to the Commission, such an offense could result in a fine up to Rs 100,000 and imprisonment up to five years as such act contradict the Electronic Transaction Act-2073 BS’s Clause (47), Election (Offense and Punishment) Act-2073 BS’s sub-clause (1) and Election Code of Conduct-2079 BS’s Clause 4.
However, others have criticized this move by the commission, claiming that it is actually attempting to restrict citizens’ freedom of expression rather than ensuring a fair, fearless, and clean general election. Citizens have the right to voice their desire to have those in charge of the government and political parties who have kept the nation in a cycle of misrule removed.
For more: BBC Nepal, Techpana, Techpana, The Himalaya Times ECN to Monitor Facebook’s Shares, Tags and Comments
To ensure that the Election Code of Conduct is followed during the upcoming election, the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) will also be keeping an eye on Facebook’s shares, tags, and comments. The Commission warned people to avoid disseminating erroneous, deceptive, or harmful material online. In accordance with the code of conduct, no information or content that has been released or broadcast during the election may be shared, tagged, commented on, or tweeted with the aim of influencing the outcome. Similar to this, the Commission has asked that no fictitious social media profiles or websites be made in an effort to sway the outcome of the election.
For more: Techpana

TikTok Video Contest for Upcoming Election
The Election Commission (EC) has announced to award the best TikTok video focusing on the upcoming elections scheduled for November 20. The interested participants should produce a TikTok ranging from 20 seconds to one minute and submit it to the EC by November 1.  EC would award the five best videos among the received, with a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.
For more: Technology Khabar 

Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.