Govt can briefly shut Facebook, YouTube for non-compliance: Cabinet body

The government can suspend the services of social media giants, including Facebook and YouTube, for a temporary period in case they do not adhere to government instructions to prevent the spread of ‘disinformation’, the cabinet committee on law and order said on Sunday.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the committee at the Secretariat, said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, who is chairman of the committee, while speaking to reporters after the meeting, according to local media reports.

Pointing out social media platforms’ lack of responsiveness to recommendations on several issues, he said that their head offices not being here in Bangladesh complicates efforts to stop rumours and manage cybercrimes.