Govt to make social media plan to stop hate messages

As the Dadri killing witnessed social media being misused to spread hate messages causing communal tension, the government is on its toes to ensure a strategy is in place to remove objectionable content with hate messages, especially those having communal overtones from social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

The government is planning to convene a meeting of all stake- holders for this.

Representatives of the ministries of home, telecommunication, the intelligence bureau etc., will deliberate and chalk out strategy to check the growing menace.

“We will suggest that objectionable contents with hate messages, especially those having communal overtones, which vitiate the society should be removed from the social media platforms,” a senior government official said.

During the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots in UP, security agencies had blamed hate messages spread through social media platforms as the cause of heightened tension among communities. Rumours spread through social media caused panic among people from the Northeast in Bangalore and neighbouring cities, leading to mass exodus in 2012.

Referring to the fake video that was allegedly used to fan Muzaffarnagar riots, the then PM Manmohan Singh had said, “We must find a way to stop misuse of social media”.