Govt asks Google, Twitter & Whatsapp to check rumours, messages inciting unrest Nun heckled, asked to leave Jalandhar priest’s funeral
NEW DELHI: Government has asked Google, Twitter, Whatsapp and other social media platforms to take concrete steps to check spread of rumours and messages inciting unrest, cyber crimes and other activities that could be detrimental to the national security, officials said Thursday.
Besides, these platforms, which also include Facebook and Instagram, have also been asked to put in place a system for prompt sharing of information sought by the law enforcement agencies for investigation purposes, officials added.
A number of cases have come to the fore in recent past where social media platforms were used to spread hate messages and rumours inciting violence, including against women, but internet giants -- most of them being headquartered outside India -- have been resisting sharing of customer details and message trails citing privacy issues. However, some social media firms have said they are taking necessary steps to stop misuse of their platforms for spread of fake news, and rumours and hate messages.
In a meeting with asked representatives of various social media platforms, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also asked them to nominate India-based grievance redressal officers and to develop a monitoring mechanism for time-bound preventive and other actions for removal of objectionable contents.
“The union home secretary asked them to take concrete steps to ensure a robust and effective system for preventing misuse of their platforms for activities detrimental to national security,” a home ministry official said.
Those who attended the meeting included representatives of Facebook, Google, Twitter, Whatsapp, Youtube and Instagram. Besides, officials from the Department of Telecom and various security agencies were also present.
The meeting, which took place on Wednesday, was called to review actions taken so far to prevent misuse of social media sites by undesirable elements or miscreants to spread rumours, cause unrest, incite cyber crimes especially against women and children and other activities detrimental to national interest.
The representatives of social media platforms briefed the government officials about actions taken by them to ensure blocking of websites and for removal of objectionable and malicious contents from public view.
All social media platforms have assured full cooperation with the government, another official said. Since a review meet held by the union home secretary with social media representatives in June this year, a series of meetings has taken place with law enforcement agencies and social media firms to ensure an effective mechanism to prevent misuse of these platforms by anti-national elements and those involved in proliferation of child sexually abuse material etc. ALAPPUZHA: Sister Anupama, who was at the forefront of protests demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, was Thursday heckled and asked by some people to leave the cemetery where the funeral of a key witness in the rape case was going on.
Kuriakose Kattuthara, a priest who had also testified against Mulakkal, had been found dead under mysterious circumstances in Dasuya near Jalandhar in northern Punjab three days ago.
The post-mortem was held at Jalandhar and body brought to Kerala Wednesday.
At the funeral this evening, a section of the faithful protested Anupama’s presence and asked her to leave the cemetery at St Mary’s church in Pallipuram near here
Reacting to the incident, Anupama, who was accompanied by other nuns, broke down and said she was “deeply hurt” by the protests.
“I am from this place. I know Father Kattuthara for many years. He has seen me as his own daughter.. we have only stood for truth,” she said.
Father Kattuthara’s mysterious death comes days after Mulakkal, who was arrested and is presently out on bail, reached Jalandhar from Kerala.
Mulakkal, who was granted conditional bail on October 15, had received a rousing welcome from his followers and supporterswhen he returned to Jalandhar.
In her complaint to the Kottayam Police in June, the rape victim alleged that Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions.