In over nine months since its formation, the Bangladesh
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission's anti-cyber crime cell has
received over a thousand complaints, most of which centre around the
popular social networking site Facebook and are lodged by female
students.
Bangladesh Computer Security Incident Response Team (BD-CSIRT), which has been working since Jan 25, has also received complaints including uploading of objectionable videos on YouTube, e-mail threats and websites being hacked.
"We are letting the Facebook authorities know after we get the complaint. The objectionable contents are then being removed from the Facebook pages," the regulatory body's acting chief Gaisuddin Ahmed, also the cell's convenor, told bdnews24.com.
Various complaints are also being lodged against posts on YouTube and other video sharing sites. The sites are urged to remove the posts after complaints are received, one of the cell's cybercrime specialist told bdnews24.com. "Or else we block those sites."
YouTube is currently blocked in Bangladesh after its mother company, Google Inc, refused to pull-down a video, which sparked worldwide protests from muslims for derogatorily representing Prophet Muhammad.
The cell, headed by three cybercrime specialists (given Assistant Director status), has been working since its inception against contents on various websites that spreads national, social, political and religious hatred.
It has been receiving complaints and suggestions from Apr 22 through its e-mail address contact@cirsrt.gov.bd, and have been taking immediate steps on a priority-basis.
Facebook
One of BTRC's cybercrime specialist told bdnews24.com that most of the complaints are being lodged about fake Facebook profiles.
Many have complained that their identities are being used to harass them by opening fake accounts in their name or using their pictures.
To address such allegations, the CSIRT takes a two steps. First it identifies the complainant, if they have Facebook ID, through a copy of photo-IDs sent over mail and then informs the Facebook authorities, who removes the fake accounts within 2-3 weeks.
In case, the complainant does not have Facebook ID, then they have to file a general ID with their local police and send a copy to the cell. The cell then informs the Facebook authority, the BTRC specialist added.
He added that most of the complainants are girls studying in schools and colleges and that most of it is about fake profiles and objectionable pictures.
According to checkfacebook.com, the amount of Facebook users in Bangladesh stand around 1.6 million.
Immediate action
BTRC takes immediate steps to takedown Facebook profiles which spread political and religious hatred. The cybercrime specialist added that the Facebook authorities also takes such matter seriously and reacts immediately.
There are allegations that the recent communal violence in Cox's Bazaar Ramu was sparked by a Facebook post allegedly defaming the Quran. The picture was downloaded and circulated spreading the communal hate.
Police have already arrested an youth for circulation the picture and it was immediately taken off the social networking site due to initiative by the BTRC.
Facebook was first blocked by the Bangladesh government on May 29, 2010. It was reopened after a number of days.
Bangladesh Computer Security Incident Response Team (BD-CSIRT), which has been working since Jan 25, has also received complaints including uploading of objectionable videos on YouTube, e-mail threats and websites being hacked.
"We are letting the Facebook authorities know after we get the complaint. The objectionable contents are then being removed from the Facebook pages," the regulatory body's acting chief Gaisuddin Ahmed, also the cell's convenor, told bdnews24.com.
Various complaints are also being lodged against posts on YouTube and other video sharing sites. The sites are urged to remove the posts after complaints are received, one of the cell's cybercrime specialist told bdnews24.com. "Or else we block those sites."
YouTube is currently blocked in Bangladesh after its mother company, Google Inc, refused to pull-down a video, which sparked worldwide protests from muslims for derogatorily representing Prophet Muhammad.
The cell, headed by three cybercrime specialists (given Assistant Director status), has been working since its inception against contents on various websites that spreads national, social, political and religious hatred.
It has been receiving complaints and suggestions from Apr 22 through its e-mail address contact@cirsrt.gov.bd, and have been taking immediate steps on a priority-basis.
One of BTRC's cybercrime specialist told bdnews24.com that most of the complaints are being lodged about fake Facebook profiles.
Many have complained that their identities are being used to harass them by opening fake accounts in their name or using their pictures.
To address such allegations, the CSIRT takes a two steps. First it identifies the complainant, if they have Facebook ID, through a copy of photo-IDs sent over mail and then informs the Facebook authorities, who removes the fake accounts within 2-3 weeks.
In case, the complainant does not have Facebook ID, then they have to file a general ID with their local police and send a copy to the cell. The cell then informs the Facebook authority, the BTRC specialist added.
He added that most of the complainants are girls studying in schools and colleges and that most of it is about fake profiles and objectionable pictures.
According to checkfacebook.com, the amount of Facebook users in Bangladesh stand around 1.6 million.
Immediate action
BTRC takes immediate steps to takedown Facebook profiles which spread political and religious hatred. The cybercrime specialist added that the Facebook authorities also takes such matter seriously and reacts immediately.
There are allegations that the recent communal violence in Cox's Bazaar Ramu was sparked by a Facebook post allegedly defaming the Quran. The picture was downloaded and circulated spreading the communal hate.
Police have already arrested an youth for circulation the picture and it was immediately taken off the social networking site due to initiative by the BTRC.
Facebook was first blocked by the Bangladesh government on May 29, 2010. It was reopened after a number of days.
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