Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) has said the government is preparing to introduce a bill to regulate the internet and the media.
In an interview with Sun Media, Nazim said the bill to regulate media and internet platforms is in the final stages and that work is underway to propose a bill that is acceptable to the media.
"The media also has to be responsible. The media says it can regulate itself. But that has not happened. There is no sign of it happening. They are showing whatever they want on TV channels and writing whatever they want," Nazim said.
According to Nazim, the existing Maldives Media Council (MMC) and Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom) incur huge expenditures to the state but both institutions do the same work.
He suggested forming a multi-media council to merge the two institutions similar to the media regulatory body in Malaysia. He noted that the new council will also regulate internet platforms.
Nazim was critical of the media and insisted that self-regulatory procedures do not work in the Maldives leading to irresponsible journalism.
"We see TV channels showing vulgar content that targets people for personal reasons. They are showing things that parents and children cannot watch together. They show things that have no basis or truth," Nazim said.
Nazim indicated that social media platforms like X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok could also be regulated in the Maldives with the new bill.
"Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, these things should be regulated. Now TikTok is going to be banned in the United States for a reason," he claimed.
Nazim said the bill will propose a framework to regulate these internet tools and media outlets under one roof.
He said the bill will be shared with the media as soon as the first session of the parliament starts next month.
However, Maldivian journalists have repeatedly refused to empower the government to control the media through regulatory mechanisms.
