Only fools cut the head to cure headache

Shutting down social networking sites like Facebook and apps like Viber and WhatsApp is not the solution to the security threat of the country. It is rather the contrary. People who have little knowledge of technology know full well that when people use these sites, they leave a clear trace of every activity behind. Law enforcing agencies and secret service agencies can track down criminals if they want. 

Criminals will always find alternative ways but they will be careful to not leave traces behind. If criminals find it hard to figure out alternative paths then it will be even harder for our intelligence to trace them and track them down. It's not only social networking sites that criminals use. Cell phones are used more often. Will our government shut down those services too? So shutting sites is not the solution. Proper surveillance of these sites is necessary. The bottom line is that those who are in charge of protecting innocent citizens have to be smarter than these criminals. Shutting down these sites is like cutting the head to cure headache.

Dr. Kamrul Hassan
Professor
Department of Physics, DU