The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking directions to the Centre and social media platforms to identify, remove and block content and memes related to anti-national slogans and speeches.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana did not agree to the submissions of lawyer Barun Sinha, appearing for Ahmedabad-based petitioner Hitendra Kumar Parsottambhai Gadhiya.
The bench also declined to tag the plea with another pending one concerning social media content. “You can pursue your alternate remedies,” the CJI said.
“The petitioner has preferred the instant writ petition, being aggrieved by the display and circulation on social media platforms, including X Corp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc, of anti-national slogans and speeches/statements against the sovereignty and integrity of India,” the plea said.
“The security threats caused by unruly mobs across the country under the banner of the so-called ‘CJP’, coupled with the circulation of fake messages through SMS and various social media platforms, resulted in the national capital and the capitals of several states being held hostage,” it submitted.
The plea said dissemination of fake news and provocative statements and speeches posed a serious threat to communal harmony and public order, causing disruption and unrest in the country.
“To issue a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents to block/remove the social media posts published on social media platforms, namely, X Corp., YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which have a tendency to incite the general public against communal harmony, national integrity, and judicial independence, and to undermine the authority of constitutional functionaries through an uninformed mob,” the plea said.
Besides social media firms, the plea had made the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology as parties.
(With inputs from PTI)