QNA
Doha
The Shura Council at a meeting on Monday called for rationalising and controlling the use of modern technology to check its adverse effects on society.
At the outset of the meeting, Secretary-General of Shura Council HE Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud read out the session’s agenda, and the minutes of the previous session were approved.
The Council then reviewed the report of the Cultural Affairs and Media Committee on the request for general discussion submitted by a number of Council members related to the ‘disadvantages of using technology’.
Discussing the report, Speaker of the Council HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim pointed out that, though technology has become an integral part of the lives of individuals in society, rationalising and controlling its use have become inevitable as technology has taken on a global dimension in the face of open space, making the task of supervising it difficult.
He stressed that the lack of control over modern technological means or weakness of these means leads to health, psychological and social damage that casts a shadow on society.
During his review of the report, Chairman of the Cultural Affairs and Media Committee HE Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Kuwari said the committee invited a number of officials and specialists from the relevant authorities and took note of the experiences of countries in dealing with the openness of cyberspace along with their measures to protect young people from the negatives resulting from the misuse of modern technology.
He stressed the need to unify and integrate the efforts related to issuing licenses, operating and monitoring technology means and programmes, preserving societal values and national identity, protecting society and young people from the misuse of technology.
He pointed out that the rapid development of modern technology requires continuous awareness of the disadvantages of its use, pointing out that family control represents an important part in efforts to rationalise the use of modern technology.
After extensive discussions of the report’s findings and exchanging views and opinions about it, the Council decided to submit a proposal to the government on the ‘disadvantages of using technology’.
The proposal offered a number of views that would contribute to reducing the negative effects of modern technology, ensuring its proper use and raising awareness of the dangers of mishandling it, including forming a joint committee of concerned parties to monitor and review applications and digital platforms used by young people, evaluating the content of these applications and platforms and ensuring their compliance with safety, security and privacy protection standards.
The proposal also called on the concerned authorities to increase awareness and education about the dangers of misuse of technology and to provide educational and informational sources about digital privacy and Internet safety, including the measures and precautions that must be taken to protect users from potential risks.
The proposal emphasised the need to support investment in research and development to understand the risks of using technology and develop effective tools and solutions that can include financing initiatives, research and studies and innovation encouragement in the field of safe technology and incorporating school curricula with educational content on the optimal use of technology and its risks.
The proposal pointed to the importance of strengthening cooperation with the private sector through cooperation with companies, technical institutions and digital platforms to develop policies and tools to enhance the safety of young people on the Internet, encourage companies to develop purposeful educational games and improve safety and security standards, options and settings for young people.
The Council also reviewed a draft law amending some provisions of the Tenders and Auctions Regulation Law promulgated by Law No 24 of 2015 referred to it by the government, and decided to refer it to the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee to study it and submit its report to the Council.
The Council reviewed a report on the participation of its delegation members of the Arab Parliament in the second session of the fourth session of the third legislative term of the Arab Parliament, which was held in Cairo in January.
The Council also reviewed the report of the visit of Council Member HE Badi bin Ali Al Badi to Germany last January.
The session was attended by a number of those enrolled in the programmes of the Joaan Bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies, including senior employees of ministries, state institutions and various security agencies.
