Centre withdraws social media hub policy

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it will undertake a complete review of its social media policy and has withdrawn its notification proposing a social media hub for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, that the proposed decision has been withdrawn and decided to dispose of the petition that had alleged that it was a tool to monitor online activities of citizens.

At the outset, Venugopal submitted that the plea has been rendered infructuous as the government has withdrawn its decision and would undertake a "complete review" of the matter.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by TMC MLA Mahua Moitra alleging that the Centre's sociam media hub policy was to be used as a tool to monitor social media activities of citizens and should be quashed.

On July 13, the apex court had asked the government whether its move to create such a hub was to tap people's WhatsApp messages, and observed that it will be like creating a "surveillance state".

Moitra, in her plea, she said such intrusive action on part of the government was "not only without the authority of law, but brazenly infringes" her fundamental right to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution and violated her right of privacy.

Raising concerns, she said the proposed hub seeks to create technology architecture that merges mass surveillance with a capacity for disinformation.