The Onus on the admin

JAY JOSHI

In economics, one hears of the law of unintended consequences. The law states your actions are always bound to have certain consequences that you did not anticipate. Something similar seems to be happening with social media. Different social networks that we see today were intended as platforms to forge friendships and express ourselves in a free and fair manner. Instead, they seem to be bringing out the worst in people, and put relationships under strain. 

During the recently concluded elections, the issue of users conduct on social media and in Whatsapp and Facebook groups was a topic of heated discussion. There are two aspects to the debate about who should bear the responsibility of undesired conduct of users on social media. While social networking websites whose platforms are used to express oneself are certainly responsible, in case of groups formed, the responsibility to moderate comments is placed on the shoulders of the admin. 

While calls have been made for placing a censorship on social media, stakeholders such as users, social media companies etc have been reluctant to accept the same, with social networks choosing to have their own moderating mechanisms in place. 

Similarly, the role of admins in moderating comments on a group raises questions about what are the limits of freedom of expression. If the group is dedicated to discussing product reviews, then the picture is even more complicated as the admin has to worry about reaction from brands and business interests. 

In the light of such developments on social media, TG Life spoke to a number of people including digital marketing professionals, lawyers, and social media professionals to understand how to regulate user behaviour on social media. 

“You cannot restrict users completely from expressing themselves in groups, but the admin should issue guidelines regarding conduct. Secondly, if the group is big, it should have a team of dedicated admins. One person cannot handle big groups,” says Faizan Ansari, a digital marketing professional from Pune.  “Also, when it comes to product reviews, negative product reviews posted on social media present a rare opportunity for brands. They can respond to these reviews, apologise, and convince the customer to give them a second chance,” says Ansari, hinting that by doing this, the brands could turn a disaster into an opportunity and end up cementing customer loyalty instead. 

Ansari’s comments came in the light of a recent spat on a product-review group where a negative review from a customer had led to a debate which turned hostile and admins failed to intervene in time. 

“I do not think the entire responsibility should be on the admin in such cases,” says Divya Parmar, who runs social media and press relations for an NGO in Goa. “It is the duty of the user also to maintain decency of language, and keep the discussion civil. In many situations when the discussion turns out of control, the admins find themselves in a tricky position regarding allowing a free discussion and maintaining the decorum of the group.  Admins too need to decide responsibly as to where to draw the line when it comes to moderation,” says Parmar. 

Shailesh Kulkarni, an advocate from Ponda lays out the legal points in this matter. “Ever since the rise of social media, freedom of speech and expression has become a centre of debate. Legally speaking, when certain posts in a group violate constitutional provisions, the aggrieved party can show it as ‘defamation in the form of loss’, and the case could stand in the court of law against the admin. In fact, Maharashtra state has worked to formulate legislations as to where exactly the responsibility of a group admin can be fixed in such matters. I feel that there should be a process of registration and guidelines should be in place when we form a group, and security agencies should be allowed to watch conversations in groups-not individuals but groups,” says Kulkarni. 

It is thus suffice to say that while social media is an evolving space still, a day will come when limits will be fixed on what can and cannot be said in the virtual realm. However, given the stiff resistance for regulations from users as well as groups such as Anonymous, when such regulations will come, and in what form is difficult to say.