Bloggers' obligations to be eased in Uzbekistan

A draft law regulating the sector has been developed in Uzbekistan with the participation of a number of state and public organizations, as well as media experts. This was announced on May 7 at a roundtable discussion at the Committee on Innovative Development and Information Technologies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis dedicated to the discussion of the rights of users of online platforms, social relations emerging in the sector, and modern challenges.

The roundtable discussion noted that in the current era of openness in Uzbekistan, the Internet and social networks are becoming an important tool for quickly satisfying citizens' needs for information and discussing pressing issues in society. In this context, experts' opinions were heard on the importance of clearly establishing the rights and legitimate interests of users of online platforms on the basis of law.

In this regard, it was announced that representatives of the Agency for Information and Mass Communications, who participated in the event, had developed a draft law regulating the sector with the participation of a number of state and public organizations, as well as media experts.

The purpose of the project is to establish at the legal level the rights of citizens in the field of using online platforms and websites, and to protect them from false information, hate speech, illegal content that promotes violence and cruelty.
It provides for a significant liberalization of the current legislation in the field of online platforms and a number of norms aimed at eliminating existing gaps in regulation, the adoption of which is primarily aimed at:

• strengthening the rights of users of online platforms at the legal level;
  
• ensuring legal clarity and consistency in the procedures for disseminating information on the Internet;
  
• establishing clear conditions for the operation of online platforms and website owners in Uzbekistan, creating the opportunity to accurately predict the conditions for their business models;
  
• Improve the legal framework for dialogue and constructive cooperation between information sector participants, including online platforms, bloggers, influencers, and government agencies regulating the sector;
  
• Improve the level of security of Internet use, create clear mechanisms to protect children from information that threatens their health;
  
• Enable users to have legal guarantees to protect themselves from information that degrades their honor and dignity, and, if necessary, to use the assistance of an authorized body.
  

As reported, the draft law separates the responsibilities of influencers and bloggers, significantly easing the obligations of bloggers.

The roundtable discussed in detail the new legal institutions introduced by the draft and concluded that it should be put up for public discussion.
Photo: Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!