Govt's Social Media, WhatsApp Monitoring Hubs Will Create Surveillance State: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court isn't looking to let the Information and Broadcasting Ministry impede on the denizen's privacy and has declined the proposal to set upwards "social media monitoring hubs" around the country. It said that monitoring online information for the citizens would seem "similar creating a surveillance state" in India.

In response to a plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Mahua Moitra, a bench of Main Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud has issued a observe briefing the government's proposal.

The bench said that the regime plans to tap the denizen'due south WhatsApp letters (which are encrypted past default) and exist able to runway their online social media activity via the social media monitoring hubs. The top court has, however, taken quite a potent stance against this decision and said that it cannot come into action as it's in grave violation of the denizen's right to privacy, which was alleged a fundamental correct in Bharat concluding year.

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The Supreme Court has moved to block this proposal as the Centre would gain access to the various social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, along with email accounts of each individual. This is a "breathy violation" of the right of privacy, reiterated Moitra. This would besides give them the power to look into the land's, every bit well as district government data.

You are hearing virtually this only recently because the government is flustered about the spread of hoaxes and fake news via social media, especially WhatsApp. The messaging behemothic has recently been under burn down for not taking plenty steps to adjourn the flow of false news or messages, which has led to mob lynchings of effectually thirty individuals.

As for the proposal, the Broadcast Engineering Consultant India Express (BECIL) invited tenders for software requirement in setting up social media monitoring hubs. The project volition allow contract employees volition be hired to scan content on social media to gather info on government schemes.