Government Issues Advisory to Curb Hoax Bomb Threats on Social Media

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory highlighting the responsibility of intermediaries, including social media platforms, to curb the spread of hoax bomb threats by various airlines operating in India. MeitY has emphasised that social media intermediaries must comply with the IT Act, 2000, the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. These platforms are required to promptly remove unlawful content to maintain public order and security.

Instances of malicious acts, such as hoax bomb threats targeting airlines, pose a potential threat to public order and state security. Such threats, while affecting a large number of citizens, also destabilise the country's economic security.

The scale of spread of these hoax bomb threats has been observed to be alarmingly unrestrained, facilitated by social media functions like "forwarding," "re-sharing," "re-posting," and "re-tweeting." This misinformation significantly disrupts public order, airline operations, and the security of air travellers.

In this context, intermediaries, including social media platforms, have a due diligence obligation under the Information Technology Act, 2000 ("IT Act") and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ("IT Rules, 2021"), to promptly remove misinformation that impacts public order and state security, according to an official release.

The Ministry has stressed that intermediaries, including social media platforms, hold key responsibilities. They must swiftly remove misinformation and disable access to unlawful content, such as hoax bomb threats, within specified time limits. Furthermore, intermediaries are required to report any activities that could jeopardise India's unity, integrity, sovereignty, security, or economic stability under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. They must also cooperate with government agencies, providing necessary information and assistance for investigations or cybersecurity efforts, ensuring this is done promptly and within 72 hours.