The Senate will send a parliamentary request to the Cabinet of Ministers on the development of national content for young people and minors on the Internet, their use of social networks and protection from harmful information. The decision was made at the 23rd plenary session of the upper house on Friday.
Farkhod Bakiyev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy and Transparency in Government Agencies, noted that the Internet and social networks have become the most powerful tool in the information space that can change a person’s worldview.
“It’s a fact that the mindset of conversations that take place through special communication programs on social media, which at first glance seem insignificant, is ultimately leading children to crime,” he said.
He noted that the task of creating a web portal to ensure public access to the works of classics of Uzbek literature and art has not been systematically organized by the Ministry of Culture.
In addition, efforts are being made to create electronic illustration guides to protect children from various information attacks on the Internet.
For example, due to incomplete or outdated information about Uzbekistan on the Wikipedia platform, the lack of quality content about the country on popular online platforms, “young people are increasingly interested in various anti-spiritual content on the Internet”.
“As a result, through ideological threats, there are attempts to change the views of certain segments of the population, especially young people, in the direction they like, to instill destructive ideas,” Farkhod Bakiyev said.
The senator cited the example of an 8-grade pupil who deliberately kicked an elderly man walking down the street, and fled from the scene.
“There is no excuse for such an act committed against an elderly person for the sole purpose of becoming a “star” of social networks. Unfortunately, this happens a lot,” he said.
Today, there are 4.7 million Uzbek users on Facebook, 3.7 million – on Instagram, 18 million – on Telegram and 16.7 million – on Odnoklassniki. The number of domains registered in the .UZ domain on the Internet now exceeds 98,000.
According to the senator, the malicious information spread on the Internet, various destructive ideas that undermine spirituality, cause concern among the population.
There are cases when users post links to other sources on the sites in the .UZ domain, which are alien to the national mentality, have a negative impact on the consciousness, psyche, spiritual and educational education of citizens. In particular, young people can serve to promote immorality, depravity, pornography, cruelty, violence, gambling and risk-based games.
As of December 2021, 289 websites in the national domain zone have been identified as potentially provocative and immoral, and 2,097 violations have been reported, Farkhod Bakiyev said.
The senator also noted that the scenes in the series and movies shown on television are also being criticized by the public.
It was also noted that the placement of various advertisements offering gambling and other risk-based games on the Internet and social networks, as well as the proliferation of militant, savage material, has led to commitment of various offenses.
Senate Speaker Tanzila Narbayeva asserted that senators were “far from restricting information”. In her opinion, within the framework of the development of national content, it is necessary to provide the public, especially young people, with fast, objective, quality and useful information.
“At the same time, in the field of information, as in other areas, the rule of law should prevail,” she said.
