The Ordinary General Assembly of the Internet Access Providers Association was held under the auspices of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority.
The program was attended by Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, and the executives and members of the Internet Access Providers Association.
Speaking at the program, Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, spoke about the current state of technological developments. Noting that countries have begun to establish cyber armies in the face of cyber threats, Sayan emphasized the importance of strategic alliances.
Drawing attention to the fact that the failure of international regulations in internet governance to develop through a common perception and decision-making method increases vulnerabilities, Sayan said, “This vulnerability provides malicious content producers and cyber attacks with various opportunities, creating a fertile ground for the development of propaganda by criminal organizations and terrorists. The presence of threats, especially terrorist propaganda, is increasing day by day. Terror attacks carried out along with social media broadcasts also reveal how vulnerable the self-regulatory mechanisms of social network providers actually are. Those who manage social networks must review their company policies, develop stronger mechanisms, and show clear sensitivity towards humanity's common values.”
Deputy Minister Sayan: Cyber Security Should Be Ensured at the Design Stage of Technology
Emphasizing that cyber security should be ensured even at the design stage of technology, Sayan stated, “We need to look at the issue not only from a technological perspective but also within the framework of increasing social responsibility projects that enhance the quality and quantity of positive content produced with that technology. Providing better content to our youth and children against harmful content on the internet is everyone's duty. Additionally, we must consider it our obligation to ensure the continuity of awareness training for the conscious use of the internet on a voluntary basis, not as a mere task.”
Deputy Minister Sayan also highlighted the work of USOM in providing cyber security. Underscoring that interventions are made quickly to incidents 24/7, Sayan recalled cyber attacks on companies such as Yemeksepeti and THY.
Sayan also touched upon the areas of responsibility of the ESB. Sayan said, “The Internet Access Providers Association needs to transform into a legal entity that conducts awareness-raising activities on the safe use of the internet, fights illegal content proactively, and establishes national and international collaborations in this regard, rather than just being a structure that implements court decisions received. I clearly and explicitly state that we will strongly support all initiatives in this direction.”
Referring to the social media regulation that entered into force on October 1, 2020, Sayan emphasized that the regulation is important in preventing rights violations. Sayan said, “With this regulation, we aimed to create a more effective mechanism to address rights violations occurring on social networks. We aimed to establish a relationship with social network providers to overcome the difficulties experienced in handling user applications or court decisions regarding the protection of personality rights and privacy of private life. With the regulation, social network providers based abroad with more than 1 million daily accesses from Turkey are obliged to appoint at least one representative in Turkey, and with this step, it is targeted for social network providers to take responsibility in the fight against illegal content on social networks. We are also getting results in terms of appointing representatives, as you know. Our goal is for the counterparts to fulfill their necessary responsibilities in the rights violations experienced by our citizens. We are taking determined steps on this path, fulfilling the requirements of our regulations, and following up.”
President Karagözoğlu: We Must Work Together to Make the Internet a Better Environment
Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, also spoke about how technology has changed dimensions due to the effect of the pandemic. Stating that they closely follow the developments as an institution, Karagözoğlu said, “With the contributions of you valuable stakeholders, together with our Ministry, as an Authority, we closely monitor developments related to the internet and conduct studies to protect users, especially children, from the harms of the internet. Taking measures against the risks and dangers created by the internet environment and ensuring that our people can use technology safely is among the duties of all relevant institutions, primarily you internet service providers. We need to work with all our might together to make the internet a better environment.”
Karagözoğlu noted that the Internet Access Providers Association has important duties to effectively combat crimes committed through publications made in the internet environment and to ensure the implementation of court decisions without delay, especially when citizens' personality rights are violated. Karagözoğlu stated, “With the works carried out by the ESB from its establishment until today, important steps have been taken in addressing the grievances experienced in the internet environment. These works continue without slowing down in coordination with our institution.”