The Social Media: A Setback to An Effective Protection of Human Rights Within the Cameroonian Legal District
Keywords:
Social Media, public-private coorperation, ICT revolution, aforementioned, effective protectionAbstract
The changing patterns of social interactions caused by the ICT revolution has made inevitable the continuous existence and usage of the social media. The usage of the social media cuts virtually accross every sector of the human society and has been embraced by human rights activists who for a while now have used it to promote and uphold human right standards. However, this same social media that has always been the vector for upholding, promoting and decrying violations of human rights in and around the world is today being used as the appropriate place to commit and execute acts of human rights violations mindful of existing
international and national instruments regulating both the social media and human rights. It is on this, that we endulge in this study to identify and examine the various ways through which human rights are violated on the social media. Our analysis and conclusions are backed by information gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Our finding potray different dimensions of human rights violation ranging from defamation to cyberstalking, with some even leading to the death of victims, as recorded in cases of cyber bullying. Based on the aforementioned, we recommend for the introduction of an information filtering system, and equally a more effective public-private coorperation especially with service providers.
References
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Onformation filtering system is a system that removes redundant or unwanted information stream using
(semi) automated or computerized methods prior to presentation to a human users.