Out of the box Fake accounts in social media
Many people like the ability to create fake accounts in social media. These accounts allow them to post their views without showing their true identity.

They support it as a way for them to voice a view or grievance anonymously. They oppose any suggestion to ban these fake accounts.

They have not considered the harm caused by these fake accounts.

I refer to fake accounts where the platform owner is not able to provide the identity of the account holder, other than an email address, which may be untraceable.

These accounts have been created deliberately by dishonest people to smear or make malicious comments to hurt other people. 

In a more extreme cause, they are used to incite hatred and violence among different races or religious groups or to engage in criminal activities. 

To preserve order in society, it is imperative that fake accounts should be banned. 

Every account should be identified to a person, who is responsible for the messages that are posted under that account. This should be made a requirement by the authority.

We can allow a person to post a view under a pen name, i.e. not the real name, to protect that person from personal attacks. However, the authority should be able to demand for the true identity of the account holder, if there is any malicious or harmful posts.

If a person has a genuine grievance, he or she should use other avenues to voice their issue. They should not use the social media for this purpose. The readers in social media are not the right people to address the grievance. 

Vote - do you agree with my view?

Tan Kin Lian

 

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One should be wary of people who has all the rights but bear no responsibility.

lee leng hoe  13 Feb 2022  

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