Cabinet Min. says gov't to present online media bill to parliament late May

KUWAIT, April 25 (KUNA) -- The government is set to submit its online media draft law to the National Assembly by the end of May, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said here on Saturday.
"The law will be completed within a couple of weeks and be sent to the National Assembly by the end of May," the minister told a debate on social networking websites held on the sidelines of the 12th session of the Arab Media Forum due here on Sunday.
The law, once enacted, will control unlicensed online media networks, but freedoms of opinion and expression will remain intact, the minister added.
Asked if social media is involved, the minister said: "I can give no reply in this regard, but I can say that the State of Kuwait cannot accept surveillance over means of expression." But, he regretted that the Arab world has been negatively affected by social networking websites, and that necessary protection should be provided to society members.
For his part, Bahraini Minister of Information Isa Al-Hammadi said social media are of paramount significance to world media, but regulations need to be developed in the Arab world.
"Social networking sites are a two-edged weapon. We focus on the positive aspect by means of delivering the state's or the organization's message without changing the content," he addressed the debate.
The Bahraini minister emphasized that potential governmental restrictions on mass media are not on the cards, pointing to a regional trend to provide more opening-up and transparency.
However, Al-Hammadi underlined that mass media ought to be characterized by responsible and regulative freedom due to the perils and dangers of social media networks.
"Well, we only need more regulation, rather than restrictions on freedoms," the Bahraini information minister requested.
Barakat Al-Wugayan, a Kuwaiti media figure, said social networks have created a fresh world that is ruled by ethics through people's education and culture.
Speaking to KUNA on the topic, he urged those interested in social networking sites to deal positively with, and make better use of, such communication tools.
Al-Wugayan implored media organizations in the Arab world to struggle to promote the culture of individuals about social communication networks in the correct manner far from libeling and defamation.
For his part, Mustafa Al-Agha, an Arab media personality, said the Arab Media Forum due here on Sunday is a significant event for Arab media figures and representatives to come together in order to ponder over a host of issues and subjects that concern their Arab world.
"The forum contributes to the promotion and development of communication and interaction among Arab media personnel," he told KUNA.
The 12th Session of the Arab Media Forum is to officially kick-start here on Sunday under the aegis of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
The opening ceremony will be addressed by Minister of Information and Minister of Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, and Amiri Diwan's Advisor and Chairman of the International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq on the positive media role in the promotion of human issues.
It will attract some 1,000 figures, in addition to representatives of Arab and foreign media institutions, major newspapers and magazines.
The event features several activities, including a media and communication technology exhibition and a ceremony to give awards to a constellation of Kuwaiti and Arab media figures in appreciation for their pioneering role in the promotion of Arab media.
Launched in 2003, the Arab Media Forum acts as a platform for interaction among Arab journalists and media personnel. (pick up previous) tms.tab.mt