Azernews.Az

Problems being caused by the Internet have already raised concerns among countries and the world wide web requires regulation, a senior Azerbaijani official has said.
Addressing a conference, "Regulating Internet media in Azerbaijan", organized in Baku by the Council of Europe and the National Television and Radio Council (NTRC), the head of the President`s Office socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, compared the Web to "a wandering cat", pointing out that it enters any place without boundaries today.
Hasanov noted that, though the work of the local print media is regulated by the Press Council and that of television channels and radio stations - by the NTRC, there is no body in charge of supervising the Web.
At the same time, the presidential administration official emphasized that Azerbaijan has no intention of taking the matter into its own hands.
"We are a small country. Let`s see what the European countries will do. Let`s wait and see what these states will adopt and, having looked at that, we will contemplate steps complying with Council of Europe standards."
Chairman of the national broadcasting body, Nushiravan Maharramli, also said some oversight of the Internet was important.
"In present-day life, the Internet, along with its advantages, has negative sides to it. For example, cyber-crimes, statements or news about terrorism and images contradicting moral values have assumed a wide scale. Therefore, I believe there is a need for exercising control in this area," Maharramli said.
The Council chairman stressed that the Internet is not a separate sphere of activity but, rather, a technical tool. "Such spheres are television, radio, newspapers, mail, trade, etc., while the Internet is merely a technical outsourcing tool."
Veronika Kotek, the Council of Europe Ambassador to Azerbaijan, believes that the regulation of online media should not restrict public access to information. She noted that discussions regarding that are underway in European countries, as well.
According to Kotek, "regulation" implies developing standards on how Internet media should operate, and these guidelines could be recommended to member states.
The Internet began developing in Azerbaijan in the late 1990s. About 50 local news websites are currently in operation. According to official estimates, some 900,000 people, or 12% of the country`s population of 8.7 million, have access to the Web. Further, 32 Internet service providers are operating in the country.