Expressing his views about the internet, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday that the internet which has emerged as a powerful medium should be used for empowerment and not disruption.
“This is the ultimate analysis, the medium is for empowerment, it is not for disruption. Any technology can be used in any way, like an atom can create electricity or have Hiroshima. It’s the atom that provides the solution. The internet is that kind of energy of millions of atoms. Those atoms should be used for the good of mankind,” he said while speaking at Google’s Big Tent Activate Summit.
Regarding self-regulation, Sibal said it was difficult to govern anybody on the net and that the rules will have to be self-imposed. “It’s a platform where we need to talk to each other on a daily basis. And also adhere to certain rules of the game. You cannot play cricket without rules, you cannot play baseball without rules. Now those rules have to be self-imposed. Internet governance to me is an oxymoron. How can you govern anybody on the net, you cannot. The net must govern itself,” Sibal added.
The internet has no boundaries and it has the resources to connect the society, Sibal said.
To empower people through the internet, Sibal said there are three important steps: state policy, connectivity through networks and affordability in terms of access through devices that will make this medium inclusive.
He added that it’s imperative for the government to use the internet too. “I think that we also in government realise that we need to reach out to the net as well. That’s the transformational change that will help in politics.”