Katara - the Cultural Village yesterday launched an initiative aimed at promoting responsible social media use especially among the youths in Qatar.
Dubbed as “Tweet Your Name,” the programme encourages Facebook, Twitter and Instagram users including those in other GCC countries and wider Arab World to maintain mutual respect.
At a press conference yesterday, Ahmed al-Sayed, deputy general manager for operations at Katara, said that they are collaborating with some institutions and active social media users to promote the initiative and its values in light of the huge number of fake accounts and rumours occurring too often within a number of social media platforms. 
“We aim to develop a number of principles and rules of conduct, including a strong emphasis on moral and humanitarian values and mutual respect when using social media, particularly Twitter,” he stressed.
Al-Sayed sees a need to consolidate the ethics of social media usage and to reduce negative practices that violate community values and traditions. Such practices, he added, affect the use of meaningful dialogue and useful interaction. 
The Katara official said promoting social responsibility is needed in dealing with the growing number of social media users who spend long hours interacting with others.
Katara wants to promote some adopted values for social media users that include abandoning of pseudonyms and fake accounts, banning the spread of rumours, patronising reliable news sources only, always mentioning information sources, avoiding racism and the tarnishing of others reputation, banning the support of violence and terrorism, considering fellow users who are women and children, moral commitment towards the community and the nation, and the respect of intellectual property rights.
Al-Sayed said the initiative reflects the spirit of national unity, solidarity and community values and seeks to promote the values of justice, charity, freedom, equality and morals. 
“This initiative operates in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognises the right of participation, freedom of expression with responsibility and the limitation of personal abuse and the exploitation of information,” he noted.