Social media must not be a safe haven for terrorists

During the first day of the 'Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament,' which was held in the Capital, global leaders and a panel of experts looked at the megatrends shaping the world, highlighting that technology advancement may not always be a positive evolution.
Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, explained that the world is experiencing the greatest technological revolution, yet despite the progress in modernity, mankind still faces great threats and challenges.
Shaikh Saif discussed the dangers of social media, which terrorist organisations, including Daesh, often use as a vehicle to promote violent ideologies, extremism, as well as targeting young minds for recruitment.
The Deputy Prime Minister thus stressed the importance of unifying global efforts to strengthen governance systems and also praised social media entities, including Twitter, for shutting down 125,000 accounts linked to terrorists.
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, speaker of the Federal National Council, highlighted that as the region faces ongoing threats, governing megatrends - including geopolitical, socioeconomic, educational, environmental and technological must be taken into account.
"The spread of violent extremism is spreading and it is effecting all parts of the world. It is not only religiously motivated, it is a symptom of post threat globalisation, which is related to mega trends."
"Globalisation can sometimes be seen as a threat, more than an opportunity," she added.
Dr Al Qubaisi added that societies are at risk, pointing out that advanced technologies can create conflict between man and machine.
She noted that despite the growing rise of online threats to regional and global security, nations must continue to look out for safe and effective technologies that help shape their people, instead of weaken them.
She noted that technology and ethics must therefore work hand in hand, stating: "Technology should be rooted in our value's system, so technology doesn't end up undermining our own humanity."
"We in the UAE are embracing the future, we have a national strategy for the 4^th industrial revolution and we have created a future acceleration programme.  We are also involved in countering extremism that threatens to hinder this future. Our legislations of tolerance, the knowledge production and space exploration are all an attempt to create a new imagination of the future."
"We live in one of the most conflict areas in the world, yet we are still working towards a future. Hope is our secret weapon."
Meanwhile, Ray Hammond, Author and Futurist from the United Kingdom, discussed that world leaders must focus on aiding the bottom two billion people living in poverty, in order to counter-terrorist related activities.
"The bottom two billion people are the poorest in the world, if we don't reach out to them, they could lead to a rise in terrorism."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com
 
 

• Abu Dhabi