The Impact of Social Media Misuse and Government Measures on Democracy: A Critical Analysis

I am all for the use of technology. As a young person, I am as much invested in, and aware of, the beneficial uses of all the modern forms of communicating, generally under the umbrella of social media. I have also seen and supported the enhancement of democracy utilising technology. Platforms that facilitate discussions – ideas and comments by citizens on serious matters have an important place in society. However, the misuse of social media must be addressed before any more loss of life, reputation, employment or identity occurs. This is simply what the government is trying to do.

I watched with great interest as critics who are now engaging with the government on the cyber security bill speak about restrictions on democracy, obviously clouded by politics and clearly ignoring the catastrophic ills that social media portends. What else is to be expected from people who are themselves blatantly misusing social media day in and day out for political gains, a society cannot be ruled by the lies of insincere people. Anyone at random can be destroyed by postings, without any sanction. Already, there is much talk and active attempts to deceive Barbadians on social media and thwart any possible progress. Driving it is a new breed of politicians, seeking instant fame rather than putting in diligent work and study of matters, offering a lot of pithy and gimmicky 30-second statements disguised as facts. The fact is that the vast majority of it is fiction. The Internet has allowed some people to babble and transmit their ignorance about people and the government. All of us are seeing unnecessary disruption to the functioning of our society. I find it dangerous to knowingly mislead the public, and if no one will call out the distorted information and alternate views, I will. I am sure I too will be said to be trying to halt democracy and prevent people from speaking. I, like most Barbadians, want to see and hear views that will further our development. What we do not want are blatant lies masquerading as an alternative view, the people’s opposition, and couched in other emotionally driven drivel.

Paid ads are running on social media showing steel frames on empty lots of land for housing with a man being heard saying the steel frames have been there rusting and wasting taxpayers’ money, this was proven to be inaccurate. The social media political celebrities made videos to show Bajans that the seaweed harvesting machine at Consett Bay, St John was missing, then hiding. Rusting and not being used. Which one is it? Your guess is as good as mine; this was proven false. Another social media political celebrity slammed the government for incompetence in the handling of the National Stadium and asked, “Where the money went that was borrowed?” This was proven false as no monies were given to the government. Lastly, a social media-famous union boss was heard implicating the National Peace Programme in an event that had nothing to do with them, yet again, this too was proven false when addressed by the Minister of Home Affairs. These are merely a few examples of the kind of lies being pushed out on social media.

The government has work to do and should not be stopping every week to respond to gossip and incoherent babbling from social media-famous political pundits. We the citizens of Barbados want our government at work improving our conditions, providing opportunities for people and businesses, reducing the cost of living and tackling inflation, and not engaging in idle talk with underachievers. The tragedy is that none of these people ever come to the public and apologise for giving false information, they move on to another false story creating more havoc and confusion, I wonder if they understand that they are hindering the development of our country because the same people who they deceive are innocently seeking information to make wise decisions and to understand what is happening around them. I have to wonder what the ramifications of dangerous lies are. Is this not to be policed? Should this not be legislated? If we don’t legislate, what form of recourse will we have when impacted? We have seen the protests suggesting that human rights will be infringed on, and we now know that this was used under the guise of preserving E-democracy. This is not a heavily polarised or authoritarian society, Bajans are free to express themselves, participate politically, and participate in peaceful demonstrations. There is no need to persuade Bajans into thinking that their freedoms are under attack. We must be wary of these politically motivated people who are desperately seeking an audience and a seat in Parliament. Apparently, they do not care about the dangers of misleading the public.

While social media and the Internet can be used to bring awareness to societal issues and can be used for truth, justice, and transparency, the same people who oppose the Cybercrime Bill are misusing and abusing these platforms. The detractors have misused international cyber security experts’ calls for greater attention to the possibility of abuse of legislation by any government regardless of which political party forms the government. Broad and technical terms and a lack of understanding of cyber laws can undermine human rights laws and underserve people and purpose but the need for this piece of legislation is agreed on by unbiased experts. The Bill has gone to the Joint Select Committee which will hear the views of the public, the opposition, and experts so I’m quite confused because a simple Google search reveals skewed information and blatant lies. The question is, are people purposely using misinformation and disinformation to drive right-thinking Bajans into revolt against a government they seek to replace or are they simply unaware of the facts, where and how to find them? In either case, they are either morally bankrupt or vacuous if their modus operandi is to purposely mislead the public whilst being unaware of their ignorance. There is the fundamental right of anyone to preserve their freedom of speech and privacy, but it must be understood that with those rights comes the need for national security measures and the need to do good and cause no harm – the same thing you would not want for yourselves. Remember, the tables might turn, and anyone can be on the receiving end of malicious and damaging information being spread about them.

I challenge anyone to disagree with the need for legislation and quote any cyber security expert who denies the urgency for its enactment. Make no mistake, the ramblings of people who take to social media to spread misinformation are detrimental to Barbados. It is white noise, an attempt to cause angst based on false information and if left unchecked, these narratives will eventually derail the country.

Katasha Nicholas