Page 7 - Cafe-Social-June-2021
P. 7

master”.  This fits so nicely in today’s            facts and avoid dissemination of ill-
          situation where the Haves / influentials            informed rumours and grapevines.
          (Blue tick holders) in their pursuit to
          maintain their status, either cow down or          It is so surprising to see how slowly this
          behave like glorified slaves saving their           blue tick has consumed us that it has
          honest opinion on critical issues.                 started to dictate our actions,
                                                             expressions and behavior. People who
          The heart of the Article 19 says:                  have been contributing outside these
          "Everyone has the right to freedom of              social media platforms are somehow not
          opinion and expression, this right                 so important than these blue tickholders
          includes freedom to hold opinions                  who are being followed for their
          without interference and to seek,                  ideologies and opinions on issues (at
          receive and impart information and                 times devoid of facts). It is more
          ideas through any media and regardless             fascinating to learn that the criteria for
          of frontiers."                                     assessment of notable accounts for
                                                             individuals varies and depends on many
          Here comes the turf war when social                factors. Hence, no one can actually
          platforms  decides to allow only certain           predict why one doesn’t get his/her
          ideologies, opinions and views while               account verified. More often in my
          blocking, restricting the views of others.         experience, I have seen accounts
          This only gets escalated when it is done           endorsing a certain idealogy getting
          brazenly with a disregard to the laws of           verified while those carrying a different
          the land.  Recently, one social media              perspective on issues do not make it to
          platform decided to take down these                this merit list.
          blue ticks for certain accounts, block
          accounts of public figures and heads of             Freedom of thought is the biggest gift to
          the State. In retaliation, the governments         humankind and no one should be allowed
          started enforcing the provisions of its            to tinker with it. Gentlemen and Ladies,
          constitutions to check the arbitrary               blue ticks can only give you momentary
          policies of the social media companies             feeling of elation, and the permanent
          directing them to come up with better              glory. So don’t rush to grab it at the cost
          policies to ensure presentation of correct         of your freedom.


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