SC rejects PIL on linking social media accounts with Aadhaar

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) seeking its direction to link 12-digit biometric identity number or Aadhaar number of users with their social media profiles.

Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay’s petition was taken up by a bench of justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, and was not entertained on the grounds that a similar matter is pending before the Madras high court.

“Everything cannot come before the Supreme Court,” the bench remarked, though the judges agreed the matter is of an important nature. The petitioner, they said, should approach the high court concerned. As the bench expressed its inclination to dismiss the petition, Upadhyay requested the court to let him withdraw it. As the court granted him the liberty, Upadhyay can now move the high court.

Upadhyay’’s plea has sought a direction to the government to link profiles on social media platforms, including those on Facebook and Twitter, with Aadhaar and also a direction to the Election Commission and the Press Council of India for suitable steps to control fake and paid news.

Justices Gupta and Bose are already hearing petitions by social media giants, Facebook and WhatsApp, seeking transfer of cases relating to social media accountability, traceability of fake news messages and Aadhaar linkage from various high courts to the Supreme Court.

In this matter, the apex court has given time to the Centre to place on record its affidavit spelling out a timeline within which it aims to frame guidelines on the subject. The bench is slated to hear the matter on October 22.

The Madras and Madhya Pradesh high courts are also hearing petitions to prevent misuse of social media and circulation of fake news.