Press Council of Nepal Takes Action Against Online News Theft
The Press Council of Nepal has taken a
ction against 183 online websites for news theft in the past eighteen months, primarily for copying and pasting news without permission. Of these, 143 outlets were asked for clarification, while 11 were alerted. Further, the council has initiated correspondence with the Nepal Telecommunication Authority regarding 29 unregistered web portals. The Council has emphasized the importance of original journalism for maintaining credibility and announced plans for stricter monitoring in the future. Additionally, the Council urged media personnel to refrain from publishing content without proper attribution to the original source.
Controversy Surrounds Maintenance Fees Charged by ISPs in Nepal
Recently, there has been controversy surrounding the inclusion of maintenance fees in the bills issued by internet service providers (ISPs) in Nepal, with 50 percent of these fees being disputed. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is investigating allegations of illegal collection of these fees, sparking public discussion. Critics argue that ISPs are deceiving both the government and customers, especially considering that the government has waived telecommunication service fees in maintenance charges. This issue follows previous disputes between ISPs and the government, including disagreements over royalty fees and the Rural Telecommunications Development Fund (RTDF) fee, which led to the cessation of foreign exchange recommendations.
Limited Social Networking Sites Opted for Listing
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) has announced that only two social media platforms have applied for listing, i.e LinkedIn and Rakuten Viber, under Social Network Regulatory Unit. The Ministry had issued a public notice requesting all social networks operating in Nepal to register by 27 February. This initiative follows the approval of the ‘Guidelines on Managing the Use of Social Network, 2023’ by the Council of Ministers of the Government of Nepal on November 2023. According to this guideline, all social networks in Nepal must be listed with the MoCIT. Failure to comply with registration may lead to the ministry banning the operation of unlisted social media platforms, according to the guidelines.
Task Force on Integrated Emergency Response System Submitted its Report
On 29 February, the task force assigned to draft the concept and action plan for an integrated emergency response system presented its report to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha. The report outlines the current status of emergency systems, international best practices, challenges, and recommendations for developing an integrated system. Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha had commissioned an 11-member task force to create an action plan aiming to enable emergency responders to access centralized information and services efficiently.
Meta Platforms Faces Privacy Complaints Over Alleged GDPR Violations
On 29 February, Meta Platforms (META.O) came under fire from eight EU consumer groups who lodged complaints against the company for purported breaches of the EU’s privacy regulations. The complaints, filed in several European countries, accuse Meta of failing to adhere to GDPR rules concerning fair data processing, data minimization, and purpose limitation. Ursula Pachl of the European Consumer Organisation has criticized Meta’s recent launch of paid, advertisement-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram in Europe, arguing that it forces users to pay for privacy and merely masks the continued collection and monetization of user data.
