Hawzah News Agency – A digital Geneva Convention is required to mitigate threats in the cyber domain and set up clear rules of engagement on social media, according to a social media expert.

“I think it is time for a digital Geneva Convention, where we codify the way we interact on social media, to make clear (rules),” Matthias Lufkens, founder and CEO at Geneva-based DigiTips, told Anadolu Agency.

Following an address to international young communicators at Stratcom Youth summit in Turkish Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Lufkens added that a convention establishing international legal standards will help determine how to interact with each other on digital platforms.

“This doesn't mean that these rules won't be broken, but at least we can all agree on a common platform,” he said, underlining the importance of education, especially starting in schools.

He said students should be taught how to use TikTok and what to post on Instagram. They have to ask their friends before posting their photos to prevent bullying, he said.

Social media companies are failing to act on 89% of posts containing anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic content reported to them, according to a recent report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

“There is lots of hatred, Islamophobia, antisemitism, etc. out there: I think the best way to counter that is to tweet positive,” he said.