The Supreme Court has directed a notice to the Centre along with the social media platform Twitter on a plea seeking a mechanism for reviewing the contents and advertisements which are inclined towards spreading communal hatred by choosing a specific fake news or instigating messages and posting it through bogus accounts.
The notice was issued by a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde was asking for the response on the plea and pinned it along with likewise held pleas. The notice revealed that without the mechanism or legislation for reviewing the online content, social media platforms like Twitter and several others have been used by people with the intent to “amplify and call out for activities that are against the Spirit of the Union of India.”
There are numerous fake Twitter handles and bogus Facebook accounts representing renowned people from different domains and are high dignitaries, revealed the petition lodged by BJP leader Vinit Goenka. The plea iterated, “These fake Twitter handles and Facebook accounts use a real photo of the constitutional authorities and eminent citizens and common people reply to the messages published from these accounts.”
The plea further wants to channelize towards establishing a mechanism for reviewing advertisements and paid content posted on Twitter which in any form is inciting, provoking, hateful or seditious in nature.
The PIL further highlighted on the negative impacts of fake news, quoting how Delhi riots happened in 2020 and it is such accounts who promote casteism and communalism which is a threat to the fraternity and unity of the country.
The PIL was lodged during the times when there is a rising tension between Twitter and Indian government over the ban of some accounts inclined towards spreading fake news and misinformation.
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