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In a significant move to combat the growing issue of bomb hoax threats on social media, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a directive to all social media platforms, demanding immediate action to remove such malicious content and cooperate with investigation agencies.
The advisory, sent to platforms, emphasizes the need for social media companies to fulfill their due diligence obligations by promptly taking down any misinformation that could potentially disrupt public order and national security. The ministry highlights the alarmingly uncontrolled spread of these hoax threats due to the ease of forwarding, re-sharing, and re-posting content on social media platforms. These false bomb threats, the ministry states, cause significant disruptions to public order, airline operations, and the safety of airline travelers.
Beyond the removal of such content, the advisory mandates that all social media intermediaries must actively cooperate with government agencies tasked with investigating these hoaxes. This cooperation entails providing any information necessary for the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of offenses under relevant laws. The directive comes in the wake of over 100 aircraft experiencing bomb threats over the past 10 days, many of which were later discovered to be hoaxes. These threats have resulted in the diversion of around 10 aircraft, including an Air India flight to Chicago being diverted to Canada and a Vistara flight to London being forced to land in Frankfurt.
A recurring pattern has emerged where single anonymous social media accounts post multiple threats within a short period and then delete them. This has presented a challenge for security agencies, who are now tasked with determining which threats are credible and which are false. As a result, the government has refined its procedures for handling bomb threats. Any message or call mentioning a flight number is now considered a specific threat. This triggers protocols set by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), requiring the aircraft to land at the nearest possible airport for inspection.
However, the rapid spread of multiple threats from single anonymous accounts has raised concerns for security agencies. They are now questioning whether similar threats, once one has been deemed a hoax, can be considered specific, and if aircraft should continue towards their destinations. This new dynamic highlights the urgent need for effective collaboration between social media platforms and authorities to address the growing threat of bomb hoaxes and safeguard public safety.