Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) After enraging netizens with his proposed screening measures to root out objectionable content from internet, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal Thursday met representatives of social networking sites to evolve mutually agreeable guidelines to ensure that such content do not go on their platforms.

“I have asked them to give us suggestions…the reach of the social media is enormous but the people using them are limited. It should not be, what we are fed is an elitist point of view or represents the point of view of a certain section of the society,” Sibal said after the meeting.

“We want a constructive dialogue that helps them (social media) empower us, so that when we move forward in our decision making, it is as informed, as it can be in any civilised society,” Sibal told reporters here.

Thursday’s meeting was part of the national e-governance plan on using the social media to empower citizens.

“This discussion and this dialogue is about how the social media can empower government, because under the normal processes of government, there is always a limited dialogue with representatives of society because the means are limited,” said Sibal.

Internet world was in an uproar last week after a report said Sibal had asked social networking sites like Facebook and Google, which operate the social video platform Youtube, to censor content which were offensive to religious sentiments and degrading some individuals.

In earlier interactions with the media, the minister had said he was compelled to think of guidelines for barring objectionable content on social networking sites after they declined to do anything about the issue.

Sibal said he would continue to hold a dialogue with companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter on the issue.