May 2nd 2024.
The Odisha Police in Bhubaneswar have taken action against offensive posts related to the 2024 general elections on social media. According to a press release on Thursday, a total of 292 posts were blocked by the social media monitoring cell. These posts were shared by supporters of different political parties and groups on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
This step was taken on the orders of the Election Commission of India and the Chief Election Officer of Odisha. A special cell has been set up in the CID-CB department specifically for monitoring social media during the election period. The IG of Police in the CID-CB department has been appointed as the nodal officer for this purpose. The team responsible for monitoring social media is based in the Cyber Complex office in Bhubaneswar.
The team includes a deputy superintendent of police, a single inspector, a sub-inspector, four assistant sub-inspectors, and two constables. They have been continuously monitoring and patrolling social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube for any abusive or hateful content. Their prompt actions have resulted in the removal of 181 posts on Facebook, 110 posts on Instagram, and all three posts on YouTube that were reported. This has been made possible by sending 289 requests to Facebook, 190 to Instagram, and three to YouTube for content removal.
The press release also stated that more than 275 handles on various social media platforms are under surveillance for any violations of the law. The government has already taken action against two individuals for misusing social media, with one arrest made since March 16. The Additional Director General of Police in the CID-CB department has been designated as the nodal officer to issue takedown notices to any intermediaries, as per the IT Act 2000 and IT for the Government of Odisha.
Using this provision, the authorities have issued notices to different social media intermediaries for removing content that violates the law. To effectively monitor social media, open-source intelligence tools have been deployed. Additionally, District Cyber Help Desks and District Social Media Cells have been established in all district police headquarters. This will ensure that social media is closely monitored and any violations will be dealt with as per the law.
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