Govt may temporarily close Facebook, YouTube: Mozammel

Liberation War Affairs Minister and Chairman of Cabinet Committee on Law and Order AKM Mozammel Haque on Sunday said that the government may temporarily suspend services of social media giants including Facebook and YouTube if they don't obey government instructions to spread 'disinformation'.

He disclosed the matter to the media after holding a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat in Dhaka.

Highlighting the decisions of the meeting, he said that they (Facebook, YouTube, Google) are not sincere about the government's recommendations on various issues.

As their head offices are not in Bangladesh, it has become difficult for the government to check rumours and control cybercrimes in social media, he added.

The minister said the media giants will be informed about their noncompliance and then, if they don't comply, the government might resort to advertising in the newspaper mentioning their non-compliance before taking any action.

He said the public notices will be served to the media giants so that they can't complain about curbing their rights and thus, the government won't be held responsible.