Instagram crisis continues: Minister and deputy give conflicting statements

Regarding the Instagram ban, the Minister of Transport, who said 'they have no tolerance for Haniyeh posts,' contradicted his deputy, who claimed: 'terrorist posts are being permitted.'

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Instagram crisis continues: Minister and deputy give conflicting statements

As the Instagram ban enters its 6th day, contradictory statements are coming from the bureaucracy. So far, 3 different reasons have been cited for the blocking of the social media platform, which has over 2 billion users.

On the first day of the ban, Minister of Transport Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority) used its exceptional authority because Instagram violated 'catalog crimes,' but he did not provide information on which catalog crimes were violated. Two days ago, Uraloğlu finally revealed the real reason, saying, "They do not even tolerate condolence posts regarding Ismail Haniyeh. We have made significant progress. I believe they will take our sensitivities into account before long."

Today, however, his deputy put forward a 3rd thesis.

HE EXPLAINED THE HARMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ömer Fatih Sayan defended the access bans imposed on social media, stating: "We have all seen together that, despite many warnings, some social media companies allow terrorist organizations to make the posts they want, that these posts are ignored, and that our discomfort regarding this issue continues despite court decisions being notified to them."

At a time when reactions to the ban are rising, Sayan chose to talk about the harms of social media:

"Although social media may have appeared to emerge initially for the purpose of information, news, entertainment, and socialization, we all see today that it has become a tool for these global companies to exert dominance over people, manipulate them, and steer them in specific directions, while on the other hand, it is an environment where people can express themselves, but also a means for these global companies to specifically manipulate people."

News Source: 12punto