Punish Online Offenders

Harassment, abuse and character assassination of public figures on social media have increased manifold. Wrongdoers post hateful comments, manipulated videos and photos on social networking sites, targeting the people they dislike. The messages filled with insults, slurs or threats are intended to shame or intimidate them. Of late, celebrities have been victims of derogatory comments and defamation. These kinds of activities can deeply affect an individual's mental health, reputation and security. 

Singers Alina Chauhan and Samiksha Adhikari have been bold enough to take this matter into discussion. Although many have faced this issue, people often opted to keep quiet about the online harassment they had gone through and how those types of messages have affected them. Now, these two actresses have started talking about the hate comments and online abuse they have gone through. They began their move by taking screenshots of abusive comments and publicly posting them along with the abusers’ profiles on their own social media platforms. 

They have sought legal action against those who tried to defame them. Many other prominent people have also come forward, saying they too have been through the same kind of harassment and how it has affected their peace of mind, and what kind of legal actions the perpetrators deserve. Those who make trolls often hide behind fake profiles, making it hard for the victims to track them down and hold them accountable. The lack of legislation and shortage of concerned experts have made it difficult to pin down and monitor abusive social media users.

Cyber abuse cases in Nepal fall under Section 47 of the Electronic Transactions Act (2008).  It specifies that if a person publishes or displays materials that go against morals, etiquette, or promotes hatred or malice through a computer, the internet, or other electronic media, they can be punished with a fine of up to Rs. 100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. 

Celebrities are constantly under public scrutiny, which makes them susceptible to all types of comments. Attention, recognition and criticisms are part of their life, but it does not mean that they are subject to derogatory comments that are posted on reels and Facebook posts, which have nothing to do with their work. Instead of posting malicious comments, the viewers should simply unfollow their social media account. It is crucial to strengthen cyberbullying and defamation laws. Enactment of laws is imperative to criminalise online harassment, hate speech and defamation. 

Nepal is among the countries having a significant number of people active on social media. Due to a lack of awareness of cyber laws, people indulge in such nefarious activities that hurt the targeted persons. They should be encouraged to use the popular social sites for constructive purposes, not destructive ones.  Likewise, the law enforcement mechanisms must be robust and functional. Speaking up against harassment, hateful comments, abuse and character assassination of popular figures has brought the issue to the forefront.

Elina Chauhan said that she was compelled to register the complaints against the offenders at the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police because of vulgar, abusive and character-assassinating comments that were not only unfair but also too much to bear. Both the singers deserve appreciation for this move. This has made influential voices acknowledge how online harassment has taken a toll on the lives of people. Now it is the turn of the concerned authorities to enact and implement related laws to punish the offenders and give justice to the victims. Laxity in taking action will only embolden the offenders.