FB, Twitter, WhatsApp used to spread hate campaign

MUMBAI, INDIA: In what can be termed as one of the wierdest accusations against technology, a cabinet minister has accused Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp as being platforms for the rising hate campaigns in the country.

In a writter reply to the Members of the Parliament, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, Minister of State for Home, said, “Instances of misuse of Twitter, Facebook, email, blogs and Whatsapp to spread hate campaign in the country have come to the notice of the government from time to time.”

He said that several incidents of inflammatory, harmful and hateful content on various websites including the social networking sites hosted outside the country were brought to the notice of the government. He however, maintained that the government does not monitor or regulate content on social media networking sites.

However, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011 under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act requires that the Intermediaries shall observe due diligence while discharging their duties and shall inform the users of computers resources not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that is harmful, objectionable, affect minors and unlawful in any way, he said.

The allegations can act as a shot in the arm against the very same social networking gaints whose largest proponent is none other than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

We believe that while such statements against the social network sites are not uncommon, the minister could have behaved in a more mature manner only if he had presented the context.