Srinagar: Over 1,000 social media handles were suspended and 10 suspects questioned for alleged misuse of social media, the J&K police has said.
A first information report under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was filed earlier this week against “propagation of false information”.
“We are probing over 1,000 handles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram that have been creating chaos and confusion, spreading fake news, glorifying terrorism, militants and secessionism,” cyber police station and anti-militancy unit head Tahir Ashraf told ET.
Misuse of virtual private network (VPNs) also comes in the ambit of illegal activity as the government has temporarily banned use of social media in J&K, he said.
The administration was in transition to resume communication and gradually relaxing norms. Filing FIR and ban on social media act as “deterrents to ensure peaceful and a law abiding society. People have to understand what is illegal and what is legal. We have summoned 10 people for questioning till now,” he said.
J&K police amplified operations against social media users after rumours on ailing Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, 91, on social media since December. It is also probing the original source of two videos circulated on social media in past three weeks, in which Geelani murmurs his last wish of burial and his political and religious belief. “We have questioned two people from Geelani’s residence over videos uploaded on social media. They were detained by Budgam Police,” Ashraf said.
Courtesy Economic Times
