SC issues notice to Centre, Twitter on plea to regulate fake news, anti-India posts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central government and Twitter India seeking a mechanism to regulate content and advertisements that spread anti-India messages through fake news and incendiary messages via bogus accounts.

Hearing on a plea filed by one Vinit Goenka, a bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued the notice on Friday (February 12, 2021) to the Centre and Twitter Communication India Pvt Ltd.

The plea claimed that there are hundreds of fake Twitter handles and bogus Facebook accounts in the name of eminent people and high dignitaries.

The plea has also sought directions to make a law as per which action can be taken against Twitter and their representatives in India if found guilty of willfully abetting and promoting anti-India tweets.

"These fake Twitter handles and Facebook accounts use real photo of constitutional authorities and eminent citizens. Therefore, common man relies upon the messages published from these Twitter handles and Facebook accounts," the plea stated.

"It is submitted that presently total number of Twitter handles in India is around 35 million and total number of Facebook accounts is 350 million and experts says that around 10 per cent Twitter handles (3.5 million) and 10 per cent Facebook accounts (35 million) are duplicate/bogus/fake," the plea said.

Further, the plea submitted that political parties use these fake social media accounts for self-promotion and to build their own image while they tarnish the image of opponents and contesting candidates, especially during the elections.

Live TV