Social media has potential but risks involved: Kurien

Speaking on the Role of Social Media in Modern-day Politics at the final Plenary Session of the 58th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference being held at Colombo, Kurien said that social media monitoring is also being used to help states tackle organised crime and terrorist networks.

"There are certain risks associated with the use of social media as many people use social media without revealing their identities and therefore, it can prove difficult to identify and prosecute individuals if they make defamatory or provocative statements online," Kurien said.

Kurien's comments came in the backdrop of India's assertion last month that elements in Pakistan were using social media networking sites to whip up communal sentiments and create a scare among people from the northeast.

"It is an ocean of information and also provides a platform to people to share and express their ideas freely and also providing an opportunity to come together and unite for a purpose or a cause," he said.

Observing that social media is a "great forum" which also helps in generating and shaping opinion or policy, Kurien said, "more importantly, it has helped people without a voice, to get one. This may help promote pluralism in political debate."

Social media offers low-cost and user-friendly means of conducting an ongoing dialogue between citizens and their representatives and institutions, he said.

Through social media, our youth can also be engaged in the democratic process, Kurien said.