COVID-19: Mumbai Police Acts Against Fake News On Social Media

Commissioner of Police, Mumbai issued a prohibitory order restricting dissemination of any information through various social media platforms which are found to be incorrect, derogatory and discriminatory towards a particular community. The distortion of facts is also causing panic in public. The target of this order is the administrators of the WhatsApp groups. But how does this hold up with the law?

BOOM's Govindraj Ethiraj spoke about this to Vikram Singh, former DGP, Uttar Pradesh and Apar Gupta, Advocate & Executive Director At Internet Freedom Foundation. Here are a few points that they made as their starting remarks -

'WhatsApp university is creating a havoc all over the country,' says Vikram Singh. He further adds, 'If I were to send malicious, fake and offensive material any social media platforms or hard copies about any community, caste or an individual, I am punishable under the section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code and the admin has to be held responsible.'

On the other hand, Apar Gupta said, 'the direction given is not towards the composer of the message but the administrator of a group. Holding an administrator responsible rather than indicating a procedure in which the administrator can forward a message along with a complaint maybe a better outcome given that the administrator lacks the degree of clarity as to how they need to conduct themselves after such orders are given'

Watch this episode of COVID-19 From The Frontlines to catch all the information you need to know about this.