Social Media Hub ? Where is the need ?

Today’s papers carry following headlines :

Social media hub is like creating surveillance state: SC  

‘Surveillance state’: SC raps government over WhatsApp tracking 

Monitoring online data: SC expresses concern at plans for social media hub, likens it to 'surveillance state' 

 

Extracts from News papers :

"A technology platform is needed to collect digital media chatter from all core social media platforms as well as digital platforms such as news, blogs... In a single system providing real-time insights, metrics and other valuable data," the tender document says.

Under the project, media persons would be employed on contractual basis in each district to be the "eyes and ears" of the government and provide real-time updates from the ground.

The tender document says the platform is expected to provide automated reports, tactical insights and comprehensive work-flows to initiate engagement across digital channels.

"The platform maybe used to disseminate content and hence, should support publishing features," the document says, adding the platform needs to power a real-time New Media Command Room," according to the tender document.

It adds that the tool must have “listening and responding capabilities” with respect to “standard digital channels” such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, email, and blogs and also be able to analyse sentiment of posts on social media as “positive, negative and neutral”.

According to Mahua Moitra, the social media analytical tool is expected to ‘listen’ to conversations on all major digital channels including email without any authorisation in violation of the Telegraph Act.

Before trying to answer the question “ Where is the need ? “ , let us understand ,

“  What is the need to monitor the Social Media ?  What is the purpose ? “

 

Not having read the tender document , I do not know whether it contains , a para or two , about the “ purpose / object “ behind government’s desire to create this Social Media Hub

 

At least , in the news reports sited above , there is no mention of any PURPOSE , nor any mention of exactly HOW the collected info / data will be used  !

 

Will it be used for a  BENEVOLENT  purpose ?  for the  BENEFIT  of all the citizens ?

 

Or , will it be used , to catch and punish , only those citizens who engage in some kind of ANTI-SOCIAL activities ?

 

In such a case , what is a comprehensive definition of an ANTI-SOCIAL activity ?

 

Does a mere THOUGHT which is not in congruence with the government policy , constitute an “ anti-social activity “  ?

 

Does an expression ( tweet / post / photo / article / comment etc ), which hurts the feelings of any section of the Society, an “ anti-social activity “ ?

 

 

And this “ lack of clarity of purpose “ , is what makes this initiative SCARY  !

 

How come there is no preamble to the tender document which reads :

 

 

PREAMBLE :

 

“  The entire idea behind Social Media Hub is to “ nip in the bud / pre-empt “ any potentially ANTI-SOCIAL activity [ even at the level of “ Man ( thoughts ) “ , but certainly at the level of “ Wachan ( speech / expression )”  ] , before it manifests itself in the form of “Karma “ ( Evil / Anti-Social ACTIONS )

 

Under no circumstance , will such monitoring of the Social Media Life / Presence / Existence, will be used to harass a person ( or a group of persons ), merely for their beliefs which are different from beliefs held by other ( majority or minority ) citizens , as long as such beliefs are not “ Anti Social “ as defined here under “

 

 

Where is the need  ?

 

If Government accepts that its purpose behind wanting to set up this Social Media Hub , is as I described above , the right way to go about is to implement :

 

Fast Forward to Future - 3 F   [ 20 Oct 2016 ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-hindu-mythology-brahma-creator.html

 

Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen ( both from Google ) wrote in 2013

:  THE  NEW  DIGITAL  AGE  ( page : 181 ) :

 

Eventually, we will see the emergence of industry-wide standards

All digital platforms will forge a common policy with respect to dangerous extremist videos online, just as they have coalesced in establishing policies governing child pornography

There is a fine line between censorship and security, and we must create safeguards accordingly

THE INDUSTRY WILL WORK AS A WHOLE TO DEVELOP SOFTWARE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFIES VIDEOS WITH TERRORIST CONTENT

Some in the industry may even go so far as employing speech-recognition software that registers strings of keywords or facial recognition software that identifies known terrorists

 

 

I urge CJI , Shri Dipak Misraji to raise these questions during the next hearing

 

14  July  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

 

People’s Pulse ? People’s Confusion ?

DNA ( 12 July ) carries following report about launch of mobile app “ People’s Pulse “

PM Modi uses app to pick poll nominees, making netas worry 

Despite 2 / 3 attempts , I could not download it

Then I filled in the survey online and got a feeling that it is quite wide ranging , and without any focus !

Why did I feel this way ?

To get a feel , take a look at the following format of the “ People’s Pulse “ :

SECTION  A  [  mandatory  ]

Select your State / Constituency ( from drop-lists )

SECTION  B  [  mandatory  ]

What do you think of the progress achieved by the Central Government in the following sectors ?  ( 5 point scale of : Very Poor / Poor / Good / Very Good / Excellent ) . Each of the 12 sectors to be rated separately , one after another

Affordable Healthcare  /  Employment Opportunities  / Rural Electrification  / Farmer Prosperity  / Fight against Corruption / Swachh Bharat /  Road Construction / Connecting cities and towns by Airways  /  Up-liftment of Poor and Marginalized / National Security / Tackling Internal Security Threat  / Economy

SECTION  C  [  mandatory  ]

Do you think that the speed and the scale of govt work has improved ?     YES …..NO

Are you feeling more optimistic than before about the future of India ?      YES….. NO

SECTION  D  [  mandatory  ]

How do you rate the performance of the Central Government ? ( 5 point scale as above )

SECTION  E  [  mandatory  ]

How do you rate the performance of your State Government ? ( 5 point scale as above )

SECTION  F  [  mandatory  ]

Which of the following issues is a prime consideration when you are voting ? ( multiple choices  /  choose any number of the following by ticking  ✔ )

Price Rise  / Law and Order Situation  /  Education  /  Employment  / Cleanliness  / Corruption /  Farmer  welfare

SECTION  G  [ optional  ]

Name the three most popular BJP leaders in your constituency ( one after another to be rated independently )

Rate each of these leaders on 5 point scale as shown above :

Honesty and Integrity  /  Approachability and Humility  /  Popularity among Youth & Masses

SECTION  H  [ optional  ]

Name the three most popular BJP leaders in your State

Rate on following ( same as above 5 point scale ) :

Honesty & Integrity  /  Approachability & Humility / Popularity among Youth and Masses

SECTION  I  [  optional  ]

Please answer the following questions about your  MLA

*    Name of your MLA

*    Are you aware about his / her initiatives ?     YES …..  NO

*    Is he / she , accessible  ?                             YES …..  NO

*    Are you satisfied with his / her work ?           YES ……  NO

*    Does he / she solve people’s problems  ?       YES …..  NO

SECTION  J  [ optional  ]

Please answer the following questions about your  MP

*   Name of your MP

*   Are you aware about his / her initiatives  ?       YES  …..  NO

*   Is he / she accessible  ?                                  YES  …..  NO

*   Are you satisfied with his / her work  ?             YES  …..  NO

*   Does he /

 she solve people’s  problems  ?         YES …..   NO

SECTION  K  [  mandatory  ]

How happy are you with the condition of the following infrastructure in your constituency ?  (  Rating of each item separately , on 5 point scale  )

Roads  /  Power  /  Drinking  Water  /  Healthcare  /  Education  /  Ration-related Issues  /  Job  Opportunities  /  Law and Order  /  Cleanliness

SECTION  L  [  mandatory  ]

*   According to you, which are the three most popular Government Schemes ?

    ( Type free text in box )

*   Do you have suggestions for PM Modi ?  (Type free text in box )

*   Do you listen to Mann ki Baat  ?       YES………….. NO

*   Will you be interested in volunteering for BJP in 2019 Election ?     YES…….NO

SUBMIT

The questions that passed my mind were :

*     Is this a survey for evaluating the performance of the ,

       #    Central Government  or of the State Government  ?

      

       #    Govt Schemes or the performance of the local  MLA / MP  ?

      

*    Is it to evaluate the present performance or assess the future potential of BJP

      leaders ?

*    Is this a GOVERNMENT survey or a BJP survey ?

*    With as many as 13 SECTIONS ( distinct pages ) and a 5 point scale rating ( in most

      questions ) , is this not too clumsy for a Mobile App ?

My  Suggestions  :

#  If this purports to be a “ Central Government “ survey , there should be no mention /

    reference to BJP .

 

    Party can launch its own , separate Mobile App for evaluating the performance of its

    own MPs and MLAs and for assessing the popularity / potential of its future candidates

    for 2019 elections

    

    I strongly recommend that Shri Amit Shah consider my following suggestion :

    ROMP - A Panacea ?  [  06 Aug 2015  ]

 

    If he does ,

 

     *  He will get far better / precise feel of the “ People’s Pulse “

 

     *  He will know whom to re-nominate / drop from 2019 candidature

 

     *  Voters will have an assurance that their combined opinion will make a difference

 

     *  There will be a marked improvement , not only in the attendance of the MPs and

         MLAs , but also in their behaviour within Lok Sabha / State Assembly

 

 

     Amitbhai would do well to launch ROMP ( may be a modified version ) before Rahul

     Gandhi comes out with something similar !

 

     He may even want to learn about  “ People’s Perception “ of the achievements of the

     BJP  government ( against is own 2014 Election Manifesto ), by implementing :

 

     But You have Promises to Keep  [  14  May  2016  ]

 

#   There should be separate Apps for evaluating the performances of the,

      *   Central Government

      *   State Government

#   Given the 5 point scale , most respondents will tend to select the “ median “ point ,

     viz : GOOD .  In study after study , this “ tendency to centralize “ has been observed

     when deciding is difficult / time-consuming . People like to select an option which is “

     Safe “ – nothing to go wrong !  Well-designed surveys have only  “ YES .. NO “  or

     “ TRUE…..FALSE “ type of selections

  

*   In a Mobile App , no one has time ( or patience ) to write ( free text ) in boxes

     Avoid these

*    List of “ Sectors “ or “ Issues “ or “ Infrastructure “ is quite long

      Either make it short ( 4 / 5 ) or do not make it mandatory to rate ALL

*   If BJP leaders are really interested in election related  REFORMS , they may want to

     look up :

     Reforming Elections and Lok Sabha [ REaL ]   (  20  Dec  2016  )

 

     It is still not too late to treat the above blog as “ People’s  Manifesto “ for

     2019 general elections

 

     It is high time 900 million voters stop reading Election Manifestos of the political

     parties and come up with their very own , then tell the political parties :

 

    “  We will vote for only that political party which commits itself to implementing our

       Manifesto “

 

13  July  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs