Greetings to everyone.  Thank you for joining this very important session.

What we face today is the fast spreading of fake news, and whether technology is aiding the spread of false news or it can be used to combat the spread of fake news.

 

• Social media, as I understand has occupied our attention, influenced our thinking and shaped style of working. Social media is in high gear. It has become the fastest means of dissemination of any information.  While transparency is the soul of any democratic society. A free flow of information is of vital importance to establish accountability. Social media has become so very important that there are increasing calls to fight anyone with “wallets rather than bullets.”

 

• We have to be aware of social media. It makes life messier and fake social media destroys gratitude.

 

• Even international organizations like (WHO) was mired in controversies. This has provoked a torrent of nationalist commentary online.

 

• World strongmen use technology to spread their influence. Weak have no means and style to use the technology in their favour. It is here again the poor and weak suffer at the hands of strong. We have to consider this aspect also. The weak suffer. And we should try to make the fair application of technology and make it inclusive at all levels.

 

• We have to be careful that social media is also used to weaken public confidence in democracy, and in turn towards authoritarianism.

 

• The use of internet is growing in Nepal. In 2011, only 9.0% percent of Nepal’s population used the Internet. The percentage is growing since then and in 2017 it was about 63%.  It has increased in 2018 and further in 2019.  This figure too increased in 2018. People are now taking internet as the basic service of their life.