The discussion focused on challenges to freedom of expression and internet rights in Nepal. Participants expressed concerns about youth addiction to social media and lack of awareness about privacy, identity theft, and cybercrimes. The old curriculum was criticized for not addressing today's technology issues. Regulations like the Electronic Transaction Act were seen as overly restrictive and not respecting the right to freedom of expression in the constitution. LGBT groups said they face discrimination and harassment online through trolls and hate speech. Overall, participants called for more self-regulation of social media, support for groups facing discrimination, and spreading awareness about internet and privacy issues.

1. Report on Guff Gaff on Freedom of Expression & Internet
Program: Guff Gaff on Freedom of Expression & Internet
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/115366229058724/
Date: 16 June 2017
The open discussion on Freedom of Expression & Internet was participated by around 20 people
representing various stakeholders and groups. The discussion started with an introduction and
challenges of what the stakeholders are facing in their daily lives.
With the current boom of Social Media (SM) and how youths are getting addicted to the lifestyle of
selfies and expressing everything on SM without being aware of their rights, many of the participants
showed their concern about the lack of awareness and effective measure of helping youth. Right or
wrong compromising their privacy, they have no idea and they hugely risk the possibilities of identity
theft, cyber crimes and frauds as well. They are vulnerable both mentally and physically due to this.
Likewise, there is no knowledge sharing or even awareness about the possible threats of SM at any level
of community or family life or in computer studies. The old curriculum still focuses on orthodox teaching
manuals that are more focused in the century old system definition and output, which has no use in the
context of today’s smart technology.
The level of SM literacy is very less where people are just following the trend of being popular. Talking
more about the lack of awareness, censorship and criminalization of Freedom of Expression (FoE) had
been yet another topic where the participants were very interested in sharing their view of how the
policies and regulations need to be updated and monitored. There were voice of how the current
regulators and authorities should do more research and surveys about the issues while making policies
and regulation.
The current Electronic Transaction Act (ETA) 2008 and its sections were hugely criticized for the apathy
of just being focused towards curbing FoE of the public in the desired way. More voices were raised in
support of the constitution of Nepal that ensures the right to FoE as a basic right. And to a more
concerning part the subsection, clearly restrains the whole article where youths and stakeholders
certainly had a strong opinion on equality and no discrimination policy.
Highlighting, the overall concept of censorship and equality there were various ideas floored about how
FoE should be self regulating than enforcing. The question of basic core values and individual internet
rights and the principle came up front with immediate obstacle for youth in terms of adaptation and
application. Youth of Nepal is unaware and is shadowed with a limited approach to the curriculums and
what is being told to them. Open standards and issues of equality needs to be debated in a larger scale
of open civil society platforms like National Internet Governance Forum which is yet to be explored.

2. Report on Guff Gaff on Freedom of Expression & Internet
Apart from the rules and regulation, a major part of the country is not connected to the internet, but
with the current migration of people to foreign jobs, people need access to technology, which has
aspired in ways of using social media like facebook, viber, skype and many more. In most of the case
scenarios people fall prey to cyber frauds and crimes without knowing it and they ignore it in the
absence of proper knowledge of reporting mechanism and because of this the cases of cyber crime are
also rising.
Talking more about women exploitation and harassment many of the times girls fall prey to unwanted
situation by sending their photos and are bullied and face a situation of stress and depression. In specific
cases, multiple fake SM accounts and revenge porn and hatred of speech are growing, evolving ways of
utilizing the loop holes. One of the participants also voiced the case of objectifying of women in a troll’s
and meme’s where political leaders are characterized by putting their head in a woman’s body and
making fun of them.
“It is unacceptable being a woman and seeing fun made in this way, I know FoE exists, but one has to
tell these hooligans that being loud and writing everything hiding inside a fake profile of SM is not the
going to bring any change. Making fun and creating rubbish is not the solution,” added she.
Trolls against LGBT group were a major concern expressed by the representatives of the LGBT group and
they shared their feeling about how the society discriminates and how they are disrespected and
discriminated in terms of opportunity. Most of the times, their dignity and respect is compromised at
various levels of work and even in the process of being an individual various names and at times even
their secret life is out slash in public with no rights to privacy and dignity.
He pleaded, god made us like this, but we have our dignity and we do not like to be called names yes,
our sexual orientation may be different but we are humans too and we have our human rights. We
just want those basic rights and we are not asking for more. People need to understand we are part
of the society where they accept us or not we exist.
He also expressed, they are victimized by hatred of speech. Similarly, their privacy and identity would
be bullied at times of making them feel inferior at social media by people in various forms of trolls and
majorly with comments by calling them with names. Hatred of speech, memes and trolls has been a
major issue of concern where suicidal tendencies and depression was a major growing problem in their
community. Even using the so called tools in social media like reporting doesn’t help. It is just an act of
self awareness where you know it is there but it barely matters. Things will only change when people
understand us that we are also humans and we also have rights.
Highlighting the use of social media, one of the participants raised the question of the facebook
censoring the content, but uploading the content certainly has a down side, undermining the rules and
regulation as it has a low tolerance against nudity and racialist views. The new policy of Facebook
certainly prohibits any sort of child pornography or nudity, which is in no level ignored. Any photo
uploaded with nude picture of children is taken down and in any case the profile owner is giving a
warning by blocking their profile for a few days. So user need to be aware and vigilant about what they
are uploading and how they can make themselves safe in practicing the correct method of using SM.
Issues were raised about the concept of Blogging and how content plagiarism was in a rising trend. A
brief account of copyright concept was floored with a more dynamic approach of being more personal

3. Report on Guff Gaff on Freedom of Expression & Internet
and professional ethics.
Measures of countering SM threat or Social media crisis situation process was shared with brief
accounts of social media crisis stories like Priyanka Karki, Anju Pant etc.
Summary
The discussion ended with various points of agreement to stand for change. The stakeholder showed
their solidarity against VAW, any sort of discrimination and taking a stand against any troll’s and
meme’s.
As it matters when you laugh at others someday you never know it might come back to you, as when
you had a chance you ignored. So step up and say STOP.
1. Self regulating and being sensitive while using SM
2. Stop supporting trolls and memes in the context of objectifying women
3. Support LGBT group in their struggle for their voice of FoE and human rights
4. Cooperation in spreading awareness of the internet and social media among family and friends
5. Help report genuine issues of hatred of speech, VAW, & discrimination
Thank you
Shreedeep Rayamajhi
Learn Internet Governance
Rayznews

4. Report on Guff Gaff on Freedom of Expression & Internet